[wisla_krakow]

1. ICON Kelowna: A 20-storey residential building across from Discovery Point.
Specs: Construction is to begin in a couple of weeks. As for height, I'm not sure.

http://iconkelowna.com/

2. The Centuria: A 16-storey residential and commercial building next to the Kiwanis Tower.
Specs: Clearing of the land has begun and the foundation will begin very shortly. Again I don't know the height.

http://www.centuriakelowna.com/

3. The Lofts Downtown: An 11-storey residential and commercial building. Is said to be the sister of ICON.
Specs: It has been approved recently. Not sure about height or when construction will begin.

http://www.theloftsdowntown.ca/main.php

[wisla_krakow]

Here are some pictures.

The Centuria: Rendering

http://www.centuriakelowna.com/centuria_building.pdf
Go here. It's Adobe.

The Lofts Downtown: Rendering

http://theloftsdowntown.ca/images/building_full.jpg

ICON Kelowna: A Model

http://iconkelowna.com/images/updates/salesteam.jpg

[destroybananas]

Kelowna is one of my favorite cities in B.C.

[Benhamin]

I've never even heard of Kelowna until this thread, I bet most people haven't. Good stuff.

[wisla_krakow]

Really, it's quite a mecca for tourists from Washington, Oregon, and Asia.

We were the ones with the large forest fire in 2003, were 30,000 people had to evacuate. Thats a bit less than a third of the city population

[CTroyMathis]

I like Kelowna too.

[wisla_krakow]

I also see that The Centuria and ICON Kelowna are now on Emporis, could they be put on here as well?

[wisla_krakow]

Here is Park Place Kelowna:

http://parkplacekelowna.com/images/construction/Jan%2017,%202005-NW.JPG

This is from mid-January but not much has changed.

[Benhamin]

Really, it's quite a mecca for tourists from Washington, Oregon, and Asia.

We were the ones with the large forest fire in 2003, were 30,000 people had to evacuate. Thats a bit less than a third of the city population

I remember a little bit about the fires, but I didn't realize their exact location. I've never left the east coast, so I'm out of the know when it comes to destinations out west. At least in the eastern US, most people haven't heard of it.

[tranceclubbinphilly]

either way looks like a cool town now that we do know about it ;)

[giallo]

Thanks, Wisla.
It's exciting to see my hometown finally getting its act together. I was getting really tired of the four storey walled community developments that plauged Kelowna for years.
The Centuria design is a bit different then I remembered. I didn't realise that it had a courtyard.

[wisla_krakow]

That is the back view of the building I believe.

And, did you here about Lawson Landing? They might increase some of the towers to over 30 floors. Then we might just have an o.k. skyline.

[Mike K.]

I also see that The Centuria and ICON Kelowna are now on Emporis, could they be put on here as well?

Done :yes:

http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=48

[rrskylar]

Impressive wisla!

[giallo]

Do you have a rendering of Centuria and how it meets the street, Wisla?

[wisla_krakow]

I saw a picture of it in the Capital News, but I think if you go to the Centuria's website it might show an overview of it in flash.

[Jasonhouse]

bump

[wisla_krakow]

Not much else has happened, But, thanks.

Centuria, ICON, and The Lofts, are still being dug up.

Cannery Lanes is getting close to being finished. Late '05.

Discovery Point Tower's exterior is done. Same with Park Place. Both should be done in the fall.

A new 12 story office building is being built. It is part of the Landmark Technology centre.

[giallo]

Here are some updated shots taken by Wisla.


Discovery Point is now finished. It's the tower on the left.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/WislaKrakow/100_2139.jpg


Another one of Discovery Point.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/WislaKrakow/100_2144.jpg


Cannery Lofts are coming along nicely. I really dig this project.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/WislaKrakow/100_2154.jpg



Another shot of the Cannery Lofts. You can see the plot of land for Icon across the street.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/WislaKrakow/100_2160.jpg




Sadly, Centuria is still a mound of dirt. This is the best up-and-coming development in Kelowna imo.

http://img142.echo.cx/img142/8803/10021780cy.jpg

[wisla_krakow]

Thanks Giallo, but that's not ICON across Cannary, it's The Lofts Downtown. The 11 storey.

Here's the new Centuria website.

http://www.centuriakelowna.com/



This is awesome.

http://www.centuriakelowna.com/floorplans.html

Scroll to floor 17 and look at the 360 pano.

I'm all giddy.

[wisla_krakow]

Update:


The Lofts Downtown is under construction.


Landmark Technology Centre 3 is now also under construction.
It is a hi-rise, and will be tied for the tallest office building in Kelowna at 12 stories.


http://www.alstober.com/popup/renphoto1.gif

http://www.alstober.com/images/renderings/latest.gif


http://www.alstober.com/home.html

[mackeast]

I tottally saw that sucker u/c on my way down to Summerland. They are rather boring buildings, and having 3 of them doesnt help. At least some more height is being added though, albeit a bit of a ways from downtown.

[wisla_krakow]

I like em. That whole place I hear is going to be hi-tech. They might even move the VW dealership.

Also, when are your pics going to be ready. I really love that town.

[mackeast]

That would be cool if it becomes a sort of hi-tech hood in Kelowna.

Summerland? Done and done, like a week ago! Haha i hid them in my last Vernon thread, at the bottem. Feel free to post, trust me, I don't mind bumps at all: :)

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?threadid=83107

[Delirious]

The project at McKinley Landing was approved today.

It will have an 18 hole golf course, an 800 room hotel ( 17 stories), marina and convention center. This will all be part of a village they are building from scratch.

I don't have any renderings of the project.

Anyone?

[aastra]

800 rooms? That 17 story building must be one heck of a fatscraper. Just kidding. I presume those rooms are spread out over a resort complex of some sort?

[wisla_krakow]

I remember seeing some somewhere. I just can't remember where.

I think it's a little too far north of kelowna though.



In other news they are planning on building a huge hi-density neighborhood near my house in Westbank. It will have a few hi-rise condos/apartments.

It's inbetween Majors Rd. and Carrington Rd.

There will be a meeting on it on Tuesday the 30th, at the Westbank Community Hall from 7-9pm.

[wisla_krakow]

Here are some photos of the Nimby thing I got the rendering with. Sorry but I don't have a scanner.
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/4162/dscf03658pu.jpg

http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/8554/dscf03663ag.jpg

[giallo]

^These people are hilarious.
Keep sprawling up the mountain Okanagan.

[wisla_krakow]

I sure as hell am going tomorrow.

[phillyskyline]

Does anyone have a map of Kelowna? I wonder how far it is from Vancouver?

[Mike K.]

Usually a four hour drive, about 300km east.

Wisla, so what's up with that high-density project coming to your neck of the woods?

[wisla_krakow]

It's probably a go. Too much money for the local government.

But, that's just fine.

[wisla_krakow]

Giallo, you are going to be really happy:

Centuria Ground Breaking (http://www.centuriakelowna.com/Ground_Breaking1/)

I don't know how I missed this.

I'm gonna have to get my ass into Kelowna with my new camera and take some pics. I hope they've started construction by now.

Edit: Looking through those pics I saw Sharron Simpson. That bitch hates development, so why was she there?

[Picture Me Rollin']

Some of you may be familiar with a luxurious condo development that has been in the construction stage for the past year called Playa Del Sol. Units are selling very fast. It looks like a solid investment opportunity with the booming economy in Kelowna. A high-end restaurant called Murrieta's (they just opened a location on Whyte Ave here in Edmonton and it looks fantastic) will be built with the resort. Phase 1 will be done in the spring. It is located a 9-iron away from the lake on the corner of Cook and Lakeshore. Here's the site: http://www.playadelsolkelowna.com/

If anyone has any pics they could post that would be great.

[wisla_krakow]

I think that project looks amazing. I haven't been to the Mission for a few months now, so I can't tell you what it looks like.

But, the project reminds me of the resorts in Spain that many a British tourists stay at. Also one of the best parts about it as well, is that it has stores or restaurants being built in it.

[giallo]

I'm very happy about Centuria, Wisla. More like ecstatic. All the cheap units have been sold though. The cheapest is like $250,000.

[wisla_krakow]

^That is cheap. ;)

[detroit_alive]

Wow, lots of development going on. I was only in Kewlona for an hour or two before hitchhiking down to Penticton. I suspect it will look very different the next time I see it.

[wisla_krakow]

From Castanet.net

Shepherd Unveils Plans For Old KSS Site
Mayoral candidate Sharon Shepherd shared her vision of using the former KSS site as a "showcase of sustainability" which could bring people from all over the world to see a municipal model of long-term planning and innovation.

Shepherd commits to starting her mayoral term by appointing a Community Coalition that would report back within the first quarter on site conditions and/or concerns. The committee will be made up of members of the city-planning department, members from Okanagan College and UBC-O, social agencies, the development and business communities, and residents.

She views the site as a multi use community, incorporating park space, mixed-use housing including affordable, subsidized, college/university units and market housing with adaptable and accessible designs and roof-top gardens. She has visions of a basketball training facility (historical use from KSS), a daycare located near a senior center, community gardens, a community and family center, mixed with some commercial or service provider component such as a shoe repair, hairdressing salon, medical or dental office, small grocery store and/or a community policing office. The entire site could be built utilizing world-renowned sustainable principles such as solar and geothermal energy. Her excitement is evident as Shepherd declares, "Imagine all of this in a site so close to the heart of downtown – close to the lake, entertainment in our Cultural District and the broad range of wonderful downtown shops. What better way to revitalize downtown than to have more close and accessible options for them to live, work, and play downtown?"

When asked about a timeline for building, Shepherd acknowledges that a full report on the site is required to determine any environmental or other concerns, but given the size of the property feels it can be buildt in stages with some construction able to begin as early as 2006.



I kind of like the idea, but it isn't specific enough. Also what kind of commercial is shoe repair, and hair salon. She needs better examples.

[The Great Scaper]

This is the first time I have seen this thread. Really cool, B.C. is taking off all over.

The only city here in B.C. that I haven't heard much on in terms of new construction is Pr. George???? any info on it?

Anyways cool for Kelowna!!!! ---BOB---:D

[wisla_krakow]

Here's the Landmark Centre website.
http://www.alstober.com/

This is the hi-tech area in central Kelowna across from the Parkinson Rec Centre, and not too far from the Apple Bowl.


And, Building V is going ahead really fast. I believe they're already on the 7th or 8th floor of 10-12.

[giallo]

I like the new business district that is popping up there. I bought a condo by the Kelowna Golf and Country Club, so this development really helps my resale value. Too bad the architecture is boring as shit.

[wisla_krakow]

Update:

Boom boom boom!!!!

Here's what they're building not 200m away from my house. Damn I cannot wait for the construction to begin.

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7748/medicandevelopment24ns.jpg

http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/1848/medicandevelopment13ve.jpg


There architecture isn't all that original, but it looks good.

[giallo]

Is it approved? If so, how many units have been sold?

[wisla_krakow]

I don't know if it's approved or what. But, I'm %100 positive it will get approved if it already isn't.

I'll get more info for you at the meeting.

I'm so glad they chose these colours instead of some of the others on the model. Ewww, is all I can say if it had been blue.

[Mike K.]

Wow.

Seems like there's a whole slew of condos in Kelowna with the arched roofs. Is that a design requirement or something?

[westcoast604]

Wow! I am really suprised to see those towers going in Westbank. Thats awsome though...the area must really be densifying. The whole Kelowna area is beautiful, its no wonder there is so much growth.

[wisla_krakow]

Thats awsome though...the area must really be densifying.

No, not really. This is the home for suburban sprawl. But, it's getting a bit better.

And, Koz, what do you think?
Of course it's a requirement. :laugh:

[MolsonExport]

Kelowna sure looks Kewler than it was when I lived there (1994-1995). Nice to see the evolution of the cityscape. When i was there, the only buildings were the Coast hotel, the dolphins condo tower (1 tower), and the recently completed Grand Okanagan hotel.

[MolsonExport]

Any pictures of Babes at Gyro beach? :D

[wisla_krakow]

I don't go to Gyro that much. Way too many people there.

And plus, those "babes" would most likely be underage. :D Cause it's mostly the under 18 crowd that hangs out there.


And, yes page 2.

There are so many people I'd like to thank for making this possible. Most of all mayor Walter Grey, may you have a good retirement. :(

Let's just hope Lawson's Landing still gets built.

[The Great Scaper]

That Lawsons Landing is amazing....It would be a shame if it went down the tubes.

SECONDLY THIS SHOULD BE A STICKY IN THE WESTERN FORUM!!!
IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE A THIRD B.C. CITY STICKY IN THE CANADIAN WESTERN FORUM!!! ---BOB---

[wisla_krakow]

^ I wish. It's hard enough getting two pages. Plus, there's pretty much only me and vitc, that are in Kelowna.

[wisla_krakow]

I've got a little update.

The Cannary Lane Lofts are now complete.
Looks gorgeous. The Lofts Downtown pre-load is done, the crane's up now.

And, the Home Depot they're building near my house; they've started clearing the land.

[wisla_krakow]

Another little update.

Details are sketchy, but it's good news for the Westside.

- The Natives might build a casino on the other side of the bridge by Casa Loma. It's supposed to have a hotel with it, which could be 9 floors.

-The former Lakeview Elementary School might be demolished to build condos and apartments. Two different designs: 1. 4 storeys max, but no room for anything else, or 2. 12 & 15 storey towers with room for amenties.

:tup:

Oh, and just read this on Chbc.com: http://chbc.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=12193

Buildings up to 14 stories will be allowed in Rutland.

:D This day gets better and better.

[The Great Scaper]

Is there a lot of Nimbys in Kelowna? I thought for some reason I read an article last year where the City was trying to push for taller buildings? Is this not true.

I know in Nanaimo they have at least for new project proposals where each one of them would be taller than any building you would find in Victoria.

[wisla_krakow]

The city "was" trying to push for taller buildings. The new mayor "isn't" anymore.
And, yeah there are quite a few nimbys. Not as much as Victoria, but a lot.

[The Great Scaper]

Too Bad! We have a few more proposals coming in the next two months for heights between 18 - 20 stories. We will have to wait to see what transpires. I am crossing my fingers on these. We have a huge group on this site from Victoria. There is almost 30 of us on here. So we are as a group sending letters to council and attending public hearings for these proposals creating a pro voice that this city has been lacking. Maybe you could try and get a group together over there? Well good luck , BOB.

I hope Kelowna grows upwards!!

[wisla_krakow]

There is a group, it's called Move Kelowna Forward, and we've gotten some media too.

http://www.movekelownaforward.com

[The Great Scaper]

That's awesome. It's funny everyone on here is against starting a group as they fear the name "group" will have less impact on council dissicions than if everyone came to the meeting as seperate individuals off the street to speek out in favour of these condo/office building hearings. I see both sides to the argument but the good thing about having a group is that there can be possably more people to sign up and add weight.

How many people do you have in your group now???

[wisla_krakow]

I'm not to sure. There are really only "two" main people in it, and quite some supporters. Just look at the letters page.

[The Great Scaper]

I remember sending a letter to it a few months ago. --Cheers-- You should advertize your group for more members!

[wisla_krakow]

Good news everyone! Looks like an apartment block has been approved in the downtown.
This is great as we need many more apartments here.
http://movekelownaforward.com/Projects/LeonHarvey/index.cfm

It's called Aberdeen Apartments.

I hope you don't mind me using this picture.
http://216.40.202.9/MKFPhotos/LeonHarveyRental/7.jpg

[giallo]

It looks ok. I wonder how it'll meet the street?

[Delirious]

I don't dig it, I don't dig it at all. It looks like the buildings up at UBC okanagan north campus....blah.

[wisla_krakow]

Good news for Rutland.

From MoveKelownaForward

Jan 11, 2006 : Rutland Tower News
There's some new life coming for Rutland's uptown business core, with city council approval of a new 8-storey building at the corner of Highway-33 and Rutland Road.

City councilor Brian Given thinks the new building will provide a spark for more development in a key area of Rutland. The building will feature commercial space on its first four floors, with apartments on the upper floors.

The building, to be called the 'Four Way Centre', will sit on property once occupied by the Four Way food market, before it was torn down a number of years ago.

[The Great Scaper]

Where is Rutland?

[wisla_krakow]

The North-End.
It's pretty infamous for crime, drugs, and "bad" stuff. Thankfully it's being cleaned up. And, with these new buildings I think it will become quite the neighborhood.

[wisla_krakow]

Well, The Centuria now has a crane up. So, that's some good news.
There's a bunch of development in Rutland, thanks to the high-limit being lifted.

Here's a few buildings.

The 7 storey:
http://216.40.202.9/MKFPhotos/Various_Developments/Rutland7Storey_Closeup.jpg

http://216.40.202.9/MKFPhotos/Various_Developments/Rutland7Storey.jpg

Some apartments:
http://216.40.202.9/MKFPhotos/Various_Developments/AsherPlaceRender.jpg

And the Landmark III tower: (this isn't in Rutland)
http://216.40.202.9/MKFPhotos/Various_Developments/LandmarkTech3_1.jpg

http://216.40.202.9/MKFPhotos/Various_Developments/LandmarkTech3_2.jpg

Thanks to http://movekelownaforward.com

[The Great Scaper]

The top photo looks pretty good. It would be really cool if those three tall towers get built!!! --BB--

[wisla_krakow]

They are all getting built.

There was a really good story on Rutland Densification in the Capital News today. I'll see if I can post it.
Anyways, looks like there might be a new name for Rutland, "Uptown."

[The Great Scaper]

Exciting times indeed. I am really excited to see the changes happening here in Victoria too.

It's funny when I was kid in the 80s Prince George was always the next biggest city in B.C. Then Kelowna took off. I never here of anything happening in Prince George anymore. In 1970 Victoria was 150,000 now we are at 365,000. In 1970 P.G. was 75,000 people now it’s around 90,000. Where as Kelowna I believe is around the 150,000 mark.

It was always believed that Prince George would be B.C.'s Edmonton in the 60s but it never took off.

Try and post some more photos if you can!! Cheers --BB-- :tup:

[giallo]

It is interesting that Kelowna took off. Kamloops was primed to be the big interior city. It's on Hwy 1 and it has (or had) some provincial government headquarters. The people in Kamloops have never really gotten over the snub.

[The Great Scaper]

I believe Kamloops has grown quite a bit too, though not to the extent that Kelowna has.

[MolsonExport]

The Coquihalla and Connector highways really set the boom for Kelowna. Shaved off 4 hours from Vancouver.

Edmonton has tremendous oil in the vicinity, while Prince George has....wood? Which of the two ingredients do you think would make the biggest difference for growth?

[wisla_krakow]

Definatly wood. :)

Yeah all the people from Kampoops don't really like us, but it's the same the other way too.
:D

I'll try take some pictures of Westbank, and some under-construction and up-coming developments.

[The Great Scaper]

I never knew that Kelowna and Kamloops were so heatedly competitive!!

I started a thread in the Western Forum for Kelowna and other regions but nothing has been posted. I was hoping that people would jump on it, and that if it became popular it could become another sticky page but I don't see that happening. Huh....Anyways rivalries are a good thing!!!!

[Picture Me Rollin']

Some of you may be familiar with a luxurious condo development that has been in the construction stage for the past year called Playa Del Sol. Units are selling very fast. It looks like a solid investment opportunity with the booming economy in Kelowna. A high-end restaurant called Murrieta's (they just opened a location on Whyte Ave here in Edmonton and it looks fantastic) will be built with the resort. Phase 1 will be done in the spring. It is located a 9-iron away from the lake on the corner of Cook and Lakeshore. Here's the site: http://www.playadelsolkelowna.com/

If anyone has any pics they could post that would be great.
Anyone manage to get any pics? Or if anyone knows of anywhere where recent construction pics might be posted on the web, that would be helpful too. :D

The first phase of construction of Playa Del Sol has been postponed until August partly due to labour shortages.

[The Great Scaper]

http://www.playadelsolkelowna.com/ No offense but this is kind of an ugly building.

[wisla_krakow]

Really? I think it looks great.
It kind of looks like the resorts in Spain.

[Picture Me Rollin']

http://www.playadelsolkelowna.com/ No offense but this is kind of an ugly building.
Well since over 90% of the units have already been sold, many others think the opposite. But everyone has their own tastes. Personally, I really like the layout and I especially like the vibrant colours.

[Picture Me Rollin']

Here's a 3 minute vid...
http://www.playadelsolkelowna.com/media/video/ext_hi.wmv

[The Great Scaper]

^ Nope I don't like it at all. It looks like a cheap train set model. Sorry Guys.

I do like these though....I really hope they are getting built!!! This will add so much to Kelowna!

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2550/mainpagethumb9vf.gif

[giallo]

^ It would change K-town for the better, that's for sure. I just don't know if Kelowna is ready for a development of this scale yet.

[aastra]

Something tells me that Playa del Sol will look a lot sharper in real life. The rendering isn't very detailed. Renderings often pale in comparison to the actual building, I've noticed. And it's a very rare thing indeed for the rendering to look better than the actual building.

As for the scale of that pack of glass towers, aren't they pretty much the same scale as that existing batch of lakefront highrises (the name of which eludes me)?

[wisla_krakow]

That's an old picture. The developer is thinking about making the towers skinnier, but taller. With the tallest being up to 38 stories high.

[The Great Scaper]

Holy Crap. That's amazing!!! How will the city council take this height?

[wisla_krakow]

I have no idea. The developers proposed this idea because of the Simpson Covenant, which is supposedly a document that states no one can build on that piece of land. So, they wanted to take up less space.

[wisla_krakow]

Well it looks like there is still a possibility of the IKEA being built;

Ikea For Kelowna?
Rumours and Things: by John Thomson

One of the questions I continually get every year is when will Ikea build a store in the Valley? My answer has always been we don't fit into the Ikea game plan. Their store in Coquitlam is a good example. It's a 300,000 plus square foot big box. But I have to change my tune because the company is making a change in England that fits into our situation. The president of Ikea UK said, "We have spent the past year creating an Ikea store operating on a smaller footprint." Now we will have to see if the idea is brought to North America.

From Castanet.net (http://www.castanet.net)

[aastra]

There were small Ikea stores before there were big ones. Victoria had an Ikea store downtown at one point. What's old is new again.

[The Great Scaper]

I was told that IKEA was thinking of openning a store out in Langford here. Then VHF said that IKEA won't open a store in any market with population under 1 million. I wonder if this is true?

[wisla_krakow]

I guess they've changed their minds.

[The Great Scaper]

I hope so it would be cool to have a IKEA here as well. :tup:

[trueviking]

this rumour springs up in winnipeg every 6 months....winnipeg has by far the largest catalogue sales in canada (stands to reason).

ikea has recently upgraded their requirements for new stores to cities of 2 million.

IKEA still says Winnipeg is not big enough
SEP 15 2005 12:00 PM

IKEA has no plans to build in Winnipeg, and the chances of that happening have become even more remote.
At one time, the company required a population base of a million people to consider building a store in a market. Now, the General Manager of Shindico Bob Downs tells CJOB, that has changed to two-million.

Downs says the last time he spoke with IKEA, their explaination was simple. There are too many other cities much higher on the list than ours because of the population. Downs says it has to be a good, sound business decision that fits their business model.

Rumors of an IKEA outlet going up in Winnipeg however persist, likely because of the explosion in big box retail outlets in recent years.

CJOB's Lorne Edwards reporting.

[The Great Scaper]

wow....I had thought it was a million. Really weird why they do this! I remember when I was really young there was a really small ikea store on Yates street in Victoria. It closed down in the late 80's. Yes I know this makes me 35!!! Yikes.... Anyways they must have changed their business plan since then, cause Victoria was only 250,000 at that time! It was a really small IKEA store! Well even at 365,000 now I guess it will be a few years from now!!! The whole island is only 750 thousand so it would take forever to get an IKEA on the island. Too bad I kinda like IKEA!!:cool:

[wisla_krakow]

I'll see if John Thompson has any more news.
He's the guy who reports on any upcoming development.

[The Great Scaper]

Any news on the Ikea store, info on population etc?

[wisla_krakow]

Nope. Not really.

Although they're adding another floor to an office building downtown. It's 3 floors now, soon to be 4.

[wisla_krakow]

Ok, there's a little "news" on the IKEA store, plus some other development news from John Thompson:
http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-16738-13-.htm#16738