Joelle Cannell has lived in and around Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 downtown for the better part of a decade.
香蕉视频直播淭here have been a lot of changes 香蕉视频直播� especially in the last couple of years,香蕉视频直播� she said, Thursday.
香蕉视频直播淲ith the completion of the Interior Health building, the police station and the Innovation Centre a true city vibe has evolved and it extends beyond Bernard Avenue.香蕉视频直播�
Throughout the city core there are eateries, coffee shops and places to stop once the sun goes down, which is a welcome change to Cannell who spent much of her adult life living in the city centres of Vancouver, Calgary and Victoria.
香蕉视频直播淚 would say downtown Kelowna is finally coming into its own,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 growing up.香蕉视频直播�
Doyle and Ellis
City planners have never actually said; 香蕉视频直播淚f you build it, they will come,香蕉视频直播� but it香蕉视频直播檚 clear they were banking the oft香蕉视频直播� repeated quote and it香蕉视频直播檚 starting to pay off.
The most noticeable results of their handiwork is on the corner of Doyle Avenue and Ellis Street, which has become significantly more vibrant in the last few months.
Interior Health香蕉视频直播檚 $46 million downtown headquarters was completed in December, bringing with it as many as 800 health sector employees and 500 people a day in need of service.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a game-changer not only for health care delivery but for downtown revitalization,香蕉视频直播� said Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran, about the health authorities headquarters being built on what was initially a municipal parking lot.
Construction on the six-storey, 106,000 square foot Centre for Innovation began Oct. 31, 2014 and was largely completed last month. The first tenant香蕉视频直播攖he Business Development Bank of Canada香蕉视频直播攚as scheduled to move in a week ago.
The Kelowna Police Services building will move off Doyle this summer, though the Clement Avenue facility tentatively opens March 24.
There香蕉视频直播檚 also been an addition to the nearby library parkade and construction of a new parkade across the street, beside Memorial Arena.
All in all, Basran has said it will be the busiest intersection between Vancouver and Calgary.
Residential
There are more initiatives aimed at building up the urban core of the city, and they may be just as impactful when it comes to creating some vibrancy in the city core.
香蕉视频直播淲e are seeing lots of development interest with our RU7 infill housing zone around the downtown area,香蕉视频直播� said Ryan Smith, the City of Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 community planning manager. 香蕉视频直播淭he first proposals for that are rolling through the door.香蕉视频直播�
That plan would essentially allow for four homes to be built on 750 standard-size municipal lots throughout central Kelowna.
The aim is to diversify and increase the city香蕉视频直播檚 housing stock, create more populated and vibrant neighbourhoods, while also allowing existing landowners to pull more value from their properties through additional development, city officials have said.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e working on pre-development application proposals on a number of other sites downtown, as well,香蕉视频直播� said Smith, noting that a lot of projects that once sat stagnant are starting to take form.
香蕉视频直播淭he building at the corner of Richter and Stockwell is being built now, and for a long time that was just a sign on a plot of dirt,香蕉视频直播� said Smith, of the condo development.
On the corner of Leon and Ethel a micro-suite project is being developed and Central Green, the master-planned community downtown at Highway 97 and Richter Street, is also coming together quickly. Consumer appetite for the project was apparently impressive enough that on the opening day of sales, developer Mission Group sold $10 million worth of condominiums in the first of four low-rise buildings it will construct on the site.
And what was once Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 cautionary development tale is really taking shape. The highrise at 1151 Sunset Drive, has sold over 70 per cent of its 109 condominiums in less than four months.
The project formally was known as Lucaya and it started and died with only one floor completed during the economic downturn of 2008. It will be complete by next summer.
Also, the big pile of dirt kitty-corner from Prospera Place may finally shape up into something after failing to materialize into the Westin in 2008.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a different market than 2007 and 2008, there香蕉视频直播檚 a lot less supply of single family lots and market condos for sale,香蕉视频直播� said Smith.
香蕉视频直播淚n 2008 we saw condos sold on speculation 香蕉视频直播� we see less of that now.香蕉视频直播�
People want to move into the downtown, he said, and that香蕉视频直播檚 having a ripple effect.
香蕉视频直播淏ack in 2005, 2006 we would see 750 to 1,000 single family lots a year created by local developers,香蕉视频直播� said Smith.
香蕉视频直播淚n the last two years we have averaged 350 to 450. We are seeing a larger share of development happening in the city core areas, in the form of town housing or rental housing.香蕉视频直播�
Rental housing
Complementing all these new developments is a new cache of rental properties, which are expected to significantly improve Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 rental vacancy rate of 0.6 per cent.
香蕉视频直播淥ver the past couple of years, the combination of a tight rental market and rental housing incentives from the city, we香蕉视频直播檝e seen a lot of change,香蕉视频直播� said Smith.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 somewhere in the neighbourhood of 1,500 rental suites in development,香蕉视频直播� he said, adding that they range from one to three bedrooms.
香蕉视频直播淓arly projects were one bedrooms and micro-suites, but now there香蕉视频直播檚 a larger mix of two and three bedrooms. A Glenmore development had a number of three bedroom units and so too did a development for KLO road.香蕉视频直播�
These units aren香蕉视频直播檛 expected to come online right away, nor is it clear whether they will improve the affordability of the area.
That said, they are sorely needed.
Hotels
Tourism-oriented developments are also moving ahead, said Smith.
The most notable project is the Westcorp hotel. The 24-storey hotel in downtown Kelowna was given approvals in 2014, and expectations were that it would be well underway by now. In November, however, the second delay on the estimated $65 million project on the corner of Queensway Avenue and Mill Street was announced.
Revisions on the design was the reason for the delay.
Smith said that it was a 香蕉视频直播渟omewhat minor香蕉视频直播� change and the city expected to see the project back for permits in the spring.
In the meantime, the Argus hotel planned for the corner of Manhattan Road and Sunset Drive has been put on hold.
It香蕉视频直播檚 unclear why plans for hotel rooms have been shelved, but Smith said interest remains.
香蕉视频直播淭here are three different hotel proposals, two at the corner Highway 97 and 33 and a third at the corner of Spall and Enterprise at the southside, and a fourth one was permitted in the fall for a space by the airport,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淲e have a number of them on the books. I know the hotel market is competitive in Kelowna 香蕉视频直播� I don香蕉视频直播檛 know if they will all proceed.香蕉视频直播�
The rest
While Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 development community is seemingly basking in what Smith described as a 香蕉视频直播渉ot market,香蕉视频直播� there are still some projects not faring as well as planned.
The Aquilini family of Vancouver received permission in 2009 to build a 26-storey tower on Bernard Avenue. The approvals for the project lapsed at the end of 2013 and the company recently put the building for sale.
The Aquilini香蕉视频直播檚 focus seems to be SOPA Square, a Pandosy Street development long beleaguered by debt and bad press. It was purchased from its original owners two years ago and is still under construction.
Plans for a 香蕉视频直播淕ranville Island style香蕉视频直播� market have also not materialized in Kelowna, despite two projects getting significant press several years ago.
Of note, the old BC Tree Fruit packing facility was torn down last year and the land is owned by a Vancouver-based company, said Smith.
The brewery slated for the land has also not gone through.
香蕉视频直播淎 new development permit for the site is expected,香蕉视频直播� said Smith. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 going to be consistent with the industrial zoning.香蕉视频直播�
To learn more about the developments being planned go to:
https://www.kelowna.ca/homes-building/property-development/current-developments.
