A new truss manufacturing and lumber warehouse to be built in Welland will bring between 51 and 74 full-time equivalent jobs in the future.

Alpha Properties Inc. is proposing the four-building, 8,875.30 square metre development — a total private sector investment of approximately $18.5 million — be built at 7 Woodlawn Rd., in the Niagara Gateway Economic Zone and Centre.

Tuesday, Welland city council approved a tax increment based rebate program application by the company in the amount of $941,826.33 over 10 years, and a rebate of the site plan control application fee of $2,331.

The tax increment based program is to stimulate sustainable investment by existing and new businesses. It provides a rebate on taxes equal to a percentage of city and regional property tax increase generated by the project. The percentage of the rebate is based on economic performance and environmental/design performance of the project.

"Community improvement programs work, this is another example," said Ward 2 Coun. David McLeod, as he spoke about the company's investment in the city over the first five years.

"This doesn't happen by accident."

Ward 5 Coun. Graham Speck asked if Niagara Region had approved its portion of the rebate.

Grant Munday, Welland's manager of development approvals, said the city had yet to hear from the Region on the application.

But he added the city makes its decision first and then sends the application to the Region.

There was nothing in the city staff report on when the new facility would be built. The company will front Woodlawn Road at the intersection of Cambridge Road. It will also back on to part of Brown Road.