News that a prime site for redevelopment in Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 downtown core has finally been sold is being greeted with relief and excitement by both the city and the association that represents downtown business.

The Mission Group, a local developer, announced earlier this week it has bought the former Bargain Shop property at the eastern end of the downtown portion of Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 main street, Bernard Avenue.

香蕉视频直播淥bviously, we香蕉视频直播檙e happy,香蕉视频直播� said Ryan Watters, communications manager with the Downtown Kelowna Association. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e excited to see what the Mission Group has planned.香蕉视频直播�

Watters said his organization would like to see the site redeveloped with a major residential component, something the city would also like to see.

Ryan Smith, planning manager with the city, said while no redevelopment proposal for the site has been submitted to the city yet, Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 downtown plan clearly outlines the type of development that would be preferable at the site香蕉视频直播攎ixed-use development, with a strong commercial component at the ground level and residential units above.

The city香蕉视频直播檚 Downtown Plan and OCP identify the maximum height for any new building on the site at 26 storeys high.

香蕉视频直播淗eight is always an issue and everyone seems to want to go higher nowadays,香蕉视频直播� said Smith. But he said the city would likely not be supportive of a building taller than 26 storeys at that spot and, besides, the developer may not even want to go that high there.

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The Downtown Plan calls for building heights to be stepped back from the lakeshore and while the majority of Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 taller buildings are now located in the Sunset Drive area just to the north of the downtown, recent plans have called for taller buildings on Bernard or in the immediate area. One of them, the 21-storey Ella tower, is planned for the corner of Ellis Street and Lawrence Avenue and will be built by the Mission Group. That building is slated for what is now a ground-level parking lot just a few blocks from the former Bargain Shop site.

Calls to the Mission Group were not immediately returned but company vice-president Luke Turri has said publicly that the company does envision mixed-use commercial-residential on the site.

If that happens, it would add to the changing face of the city香蕉视频直播檚 downtown core, which was once primarily lower level buildings housing almost exclusively commercial and retail.

Related: Buyer of prime downtown Kelowna property identified.

But development plans call for several high-rise residential towers along Sunset and plans for more, including the 21-storey 1151 Sunset tower, which is currently under construction, plans for the city香蕉视频直播檚 two tallest buildings, the 36- and 29-storey towers at One Water Street next door. Then there is the aforementioned Ella tower and the planned 32-storey Westcorp hotel at the foot of Queensway, as well as several other lower level residential building at other downtown locations. The city is literally growing up, and with it, the downtown density that city hall is looking for.

香蕉视频直播淚t will be interesting to see when it all comes together,香蕉视频直播� said Smith.

Still, some are concerned about the movement south of the tall buildings.

Smith said that was anticipated by the Downtown Plan, when it was adopted 10 years ago and addressed with the step-back-from-the-lake scenario. The planned height allowances even found their way into the city香蕉视频直播檚 Official Community Plan.

He noted that while the Sunset area has been successful in attracting developers willing to build high-rises, Bernard Avenue has not been as successful.

The street香蕉视频直播檚 first planned high-rise, a tower called 24, never materialized. It was scrapped after the company behind it took over the Sopa Square development in South Pandosy after it stalled in order to finish the residential component there.

Several other lower-level residential buildings, including at Central Green, in the south Mission at Sarsons, near the UBC Okanagan campus and the Ella building are all Mission Group projects. That is one reason Smith believes redevelopment of the Bernard Avenue site may not start up right away.

香蕉视频直播淭hey seem to have lots on their plate right now,香蕉视频直播� he said.