Kelowna Construction

[DKaz]

Originally Posted by 240glt

Not sure what it is but I cant help feel that this is the wrong project in the wrong place.

Hm. Just in terms of density in the middle of nowhere?

City Council has given cautious support during first reading of the development proposal. They're excited that a developer is willing to build something of this scale in the city but they're also worried about the density plus they want to make sure this is the right project for precious lakeshore. The project does include a public beach and marina.

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/ne...07c9267f8.html

West Kelowna does have a problem that if they don't allow this in the city, the developer could just move the development a few hundred metres north onto Westbank First Nation land and then West Kelowna will have the traffic headaches with none of the tax benefit. Although Campbell Road Interchange is on WFN land.

[240glt]

Originally Posted by DKaz

Hm. Just in terms of density in the middle of nowhere?

City Council has given cautious support during first reading of the development proposal. They're excited that a developer is willing to build something of this scale in the city but they're also worried about the density plus they want to make sure this is the right project for precious lakeshore. The project does include a public beach and marina.

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/ne...07c9267f8.html

West Kelowna does have a problem that if they don't allow this in the city, the developer could just move the development a few hundred metres north onto Westbank First Nation land and then West Kelowna will have the traffic headaches with none of the tax benefit. Although Campbell Road Interchange is on WFN land.

I don't know what exactly strikes me as odd with it... maybe just that the drawings I've seen so far lack context with regards to how it ties in with the west shoreline and the drawings make it look like it's sitting in the middle of nowhere, but (it's been a while since I've driven down Campbell road) isn't there a lot of low density development around there already ?

I suspect they could move it over to the reserve but there are also issues with that, not the least being the effect on financing, which I suspect might be a lot harder to secure on leased land

[DKaz]

Originally Posted by 240glt

I don't know what exactly strikes me as odd with it... maybe just that the drawings I've seen so far lack context with regards to how it ties in with the west shoreline and the drawings make it look like it's sitting in the middle of nowhere, but (it's been a while since I've driven down Campbell road) isn't there a lot of low density development around there already ?

I suspect they could move it over to the reserve but there are also issues with that, not the least being the effect on financing, which I suspect might be a lot harder to secure on leased land

There is single family housing and a lakeside townhome complex (Casa Loma Resort). I think it will all eventually densify with the benefit of public access to the lakeshore. I don't see this development any worse than The Cove and Barona Beach Resorts.

I'd love it if one day there was a public walkway from the bridge all the way to Gellatly Bay, as well as in Kelowna from Knox Mountain south to Eldorado Hotel / the new Aqua development and further south and that will come when existing properties are densified. Even though the entire lakeshore is considered crown land, too many property owners have put up impediments to access to the lakeshore.

[240glt]

^ Agree, they need to capitalize on those shorelines and make them more accessible.

Last year during the floods I remember there were some conflicts between landowners and the public on the shoreline right-of-ways, and a lot of those unauthorized barriers that landowners had put up to keep people from walking across their beaches were washed away. There was a group that was going to push to ensure those barriers weren't re-built. I think that it's important to keep the shorelines accessible. If they could tie in this development with a path even just to the dockside that would be pretty neat.

[Wishblade]

Hey Everyone! Poster from Halifax here but am looking to move to Kelowna later this year. Really looks like there's some exciting stuff going on, and after some research seems to be the place my girlfriend and I wish to settle our lives next . If anyone has any advice to share to a newcomer it's certainly appreciated! I look forward to sharing in the discussions here

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

Hey Everyone! Poster from Halifax here but am looking to move to Kelowna later this year. Really looks like there's some exciting stuff going on, and after some research seems to be the place my girlfriend and I wish to settle our lives next . If anyone has any advice to share to a newcomer it's certainly appreciated! I look forward to sharing in the discussions here

Welcome to the Kelowna forum!

Most of us in this thread have either lived in Kelowna or are pretty familiar with the city and region. I grew up Kelowna, but haven't lived there or the Okanagan Valley for almost 20 years. I still go back almost every summer for a nice, long visit though.

Have you been to Kelowna before or is this a blind move?

[DKaz]

I forgot I'm going to the Rockets game tomorrow, so I'm

Originally Posted by Wishblade

Hey Everyone! Poster from Halifax here but am looking to move to Kelowna later this year. Really looks like there's some exciting stuff going on, and after some research seems to be the place my girlfriend and I wish to settle our lives next . If anyone has any advice to share to a newcomer it's certainly appreciated! I look forward to sharing in the discussions here

How exciting! The rental vacancy situation will hopefully be in your favour by then if you're renting. Real estate will be a lot higher than what you're used to in Halifax. Beautiful weather most of the year, but it's always cloudy mid November to mid February. The average temperature is just below freezing and it usually stays around that mark with several stretches a season of temperatures warm enough to ride a motorcycle in and several stretches a season of frigid temperatures. It was -16 this morning, brrr.

The transit system is ok if you rely on it but it's a car dependent city otherwise. Traffic is terrible in the tourist season. Cycling facilities are reasonable for a city of this size although sidewalks are non-existent most areas outside downtown. People are generally friendly, but we have a high property crime rate and a high drug overdose rate. Another common problem is related to the huge number of seniors here -- people mistaking the gas pedal for the brake. With municipal elections coming up and the current mayor on the fence about running for another term, I hope the replacement mayor and council is at least as friendly if not more friendly to development, attracting young families and high tech businesses, and urban facilities.

Lots to do spring to autumn that are free -- ride the Kettle Valley Trail or upcoming Okanagan Rail Trail, kayak or paddleboard Okanagan Lake, hike Knox Mountain, or just spend every single day soaking up rays at the beach, Kelowna is an outdoors person's dream. Downtown Kelowna's happening in the summer and you can catch free concerts Fridays downtown and also at Memorial Park in West Kelowna. In the winter, you can usually still hike up Knox Mountain, take up snowshoeing, or go skating at Stuart Park which is artificially cooled so it is operational even when it's +10 out.

That's all I can think of for now but here's a nice rosy Tourism Kelowna video I love to show people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cohNti8_SSo

[DKaz]

33 Storey Westcorp Hotel a Go

“Unlike previous public hearings where people railed en masse about height so close to the waterfront, Tuesday's meeting featured speaker after speaker in favour of the project.”

https://www.castanet.net/edition/new...-1-.htm#219415

[Metro-One]

Finally some good news! I really hope this project proceeds. The mixed use should assist in this (plus its amazing location... I hope).

[240glt]

Good news for Kelowna. That 17th floor restaurant will easily have the nicest views in the city

[DKaz]

Oh even the conference centre on the first few floors will have an amazing view judging by the ambience from the Earls restaurant at the foot of Bernard, the views from that restaurant will be out of this world. The million dollars in improvements to the public areas surrounding the hotel will be much welcomed. Unfortunately for boaters, it does get rid of the Queensway boat launch but that boat launch and surface parking lot was an annoying gap for a very busy pedestrian path.

[Phrescata]

Very exciting news for Kelowna indeed! It will be awesome watching this tower rise as it’s in a very prominent location.

[DKaz]

Comments in the Castanet forums for your reading entertainment, in case anyone wondered where all the NIMBYs went.

https://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=77071

[KelownaResident]

Indeed exciting but this erodes the beachy feel downtown Kelowna currently has. The height is not so much a concern to me but podium height of this thing is a bit much. If I recall correctly, it is about 2x that of the BMO building.

Of course this project will be a net benefit to Kelowna, it HAS to be. But I think it could have been done better.

I'm probably going to get flamed, since this is a Skyscraper page after all.

[Metro-One]

Haha, don’t worry, we are not that bad. You criticisms are more articulated and reasonable than a NIMBY who is simply scared of change.

I think it’s location won’t take away from the beach feel. In fact seeing how many famous beach / resort cities are lined with taller towers along their waterfront, I think this will add to the beach feel (especially if they stay true to the color scheme shown in the renders). Also the restaurant on the 17th floor will be a great addition to the waterfront.

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by DKaz

I forgot I'm going to the Rockets game tomorrow, so I'm



How exciting! The rental vacancy situation will hopefully be in your favour by then if you're renting. Real estate will be a lot higher than what you're used to in Halifax. Beautiful weather most of the year, but it's always cloudy mid November to mid February. The average temperature is just below freezing and it usually stays around that mark with several stretches a season of temperatures warm enough to ride a motorcycle in and several stretches a season of frigid temperatures. It was -16 this morning, brrr.

The transit system is ok if you rely on it but it's a car dependent city otherwise. Traffic is terrible in the tourist season. Cycling facilities are reasonable for a city of this size although sidewalks are non-existent most areas outside downtown. People are generally friendly, but we have a high property crime rate and a high drug overdose rate. Another common problem is related to the huge number of seniors here -- people mistaking the gas pedal for the brake. With municipal elections coming up and the current mayor on the fence about running for another term, I hope the replacement mayor and council is at least as friendly if not more friendly to development, attracting young families and high tech businesses, and urban facilities.

Lots to do spring to autumn that are free -- ride the Kettle Valley Trail or upcoming Okanagan Rail Trail, kayak or paddleboard Okanagan Lake, hike Knox Mountain, or just spend every single day soaking up rays at the beach, Kelowna is an outdoors person's dream. Downtown Kelowna's happening in the summer and you can catch free concerts Fridays downtown and also at Memorial Park in West Kelowna. In the winter, you can usually still hike up Knox Mountain, take up snowshoeing, or go skating at Stuart Park which is artificially cooled so it is operational even when it's +10 out.

That's all I can think of for now but here's a nice rosy Tourism Kelowna video I love to show people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cohNti8_SSo

Thank you for all of the information!

We are looking to rent and the prices seem pretty reasonable, especially compared to most of the other places in B.C I've seen. The weather is actually one of the things that really drew us to the place. I can understand the winter can probably get a bit dreary but being in Nova Scotia I can't say I'm not used to it . The summer weather however looks fantastic, and as people who love the outdoors we're really looking forward to taking advantage of it . We're pretty big on festivals and outdoor concerts as well, and are quite liberal and laid back for the most part.

I've read about the traffic situation and I'm prepared to deal with it. Does the municipality have any plans to try to mitigate the problem? We have a lot of traffic issues starting to arise here in Halifax and council doesn't appear to be doing much to try to fix it. I've also read that a lot of younger people are moving into the area (I'm 32, my gf is 25) so this is certainly a positive thing to us. Hopefully it will eventually dilute the senior driving population lol .

We truly can't wait to make this life change. I've personally never lived outside of the Maritimes and have never been west of Toronto. My girlfriend moved here from Newfoundland about 15 years ago and aside from that it's the same story as mine. This is all happening site unseen and we had a choice of just about every province in the country but decided on the Okanagan after a fair bit of research. I'm pretty confident were making the right choice for us .

[giallo]

Great news about the hotel. Let's hope everything else goes smoothly from here on out.

With One Water, Ella and now the Westcorp hotel, Kelowna's skyline is going to change in a very big way.

[240glt]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

Thank you for all of the information!

We are looking to rent and the prices seem pretty reasonable, especially compared to most of the other places in B.C I've seen. The weather is actually one of the things that really drew us to the place. I can understand the winter can probably get a bit dreary but being in Nova Scotia I can't say I'm not used to it . The summer weather however looks fantastic, and as people who love the outdoors we're really looking forward to taking advantage of it . We're pretty big on festivals and outdoor concerts as well, and are quite liberal and laid back for the most part.

I've read about the traffic situation and I'm prepared to deal with it. Does the municipality have any plans to try to mitigate the problem? We have a lot of traffic issues starting to arise here in Halifax and council doesn't appear to be doing much to try to fix it. I've also read that a lot of younger people are moving into the area (I'm 32, my gf is 25) so this is certainly a positive thing to us. Hopefully it will eventually dilute the senior driving population lol .

We truly can't wait to make this life change. I've personally never lived outside of the Maritimes and have never been west of Toronto. My girlfriend moved here from Newfoundland about 15 years ago and aside from that it's the same story as mine. This is all happening site unseen and we had a choice of just about every province in the country but decided on the Okanagan after a fair bit of research. I'm pretty confident were making the right choice for us .

You really can't beat the lifestyle in the Okanagan, especially if you are an outdoor enthusiast. Best lakes in Western Canada, some of the best skiing at your doorstep, it's expensive because everyone, especially Albertans want to live there, and it is crowded in the summer but once you get settled in you'll start to find the spots the tourists don't know about. I'm from the area and I remember when The area was a sleepy little town, it's grown so much in the past while and parts of it are starting to feel like a mini Vancouver. I'm sure you'll love it once you get settled in

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

Thank you for all of the information!

We are looking to rent and the prices seem pretty reasonable, especially compared to most of the other places in B.C I've seen. The weather is actually one of the things that really drew us to the place. I can understand the winter can probably get a bit dreary but being in Nova Scotia I can't say I'm not used to it . The summer weather however looks fantastic, and as people who love the outdoors we're really looking forward to taking advantage of it . We're pretty big on festivals and outdoor concerts as well, and are quite liberal and laid back for the most part.

I've read about the traffic situation and I'm prepared to deal with it. Does the municipality have any plans to try to mitigate the problem? We have a lot of traffic issues starting to arise here in Halifax and council doesn't appear to be doing much to try to fix it. I've also read that a lot of younger people are moving into the area (I'm 32, my gf is 25) so this is certainly a positive thing to us. Hopefully it will eventually dilute the senior driving population lol .

We truly can't wait to make this life change. I've personally never lived outside of the Maritimes and have never been west of Toronto. My girlfriend moved here from Newfoundland about 15 years ago and aside from that it's the same story as mine. This is all happening site unseen and we had a choice of just about every province in the country but decided on the Okanagan after a fair bit of research. I'm pretty confident were making the right choice for us .

There are so many places to explore in and near the Okanagan. My personal favourite is Osoyoos and Oliver, but Penticton and Kalamalka lake are also amazing spots in the summer. Kelowna is situated nicely in the middle and it is one of the few locations in BC that is essentially connected to Vancouver via freeway, so it is not too difficult to hit up the coast for a weekend.

[240glt]

It also gets hot in the summer

https://imgur.com/gallery/Qhx4g