Kelowna Construction

[Emtee]

Ella breaks ground

Ground was officially broken on the latest highrise in downtown Kelowna Tuesday morning.

Once complete, Ella will be a 20-storey mixed-use building at the corner of Ellis and Lawrence, featuring ground level businesses and 116 condominiums.

It'll also be the first concrete highrise south of Doyle Avenue since the 12-storey Executive House at Richter and Leon was completed in 1980.

Mission Group purchased the Ella property for more than $2.6 million from the city in February of last year.

Company VP of development Luke Turri says it was the city's vision that prompted Mission Group to make the purchase.

Mayor Colin Basran explains.

"Council put some parameters around some of the things we'd like to see on this site. We said mixed-use, a mix of some commercial or business and some residential," said Basran.

"We know having people living downtown is going to help create the vibrancy we need. It has a number of positive impacts, including the people living downtown, shopping in local business and helping the local economy."

The mayor says developments like this in the downtown area and similar ones in other designated town centres are key to Kelowna's continued growth up, and not out.

"We know if we continue to sprawl in the community it's going to be very expensive to run infrastructure, to run services out there, to police, fire department, parks, amenities.

"So, the further we sprawl the more expensive it gets as a ratepayer in the community. We want to make sure we grow smartly and in areas where we already have amenities to limit the cost."

Turri adds money the city has invested in infrastructure such as Bernard Avenue revitalization, Stuart Park and the yacht club helped spark projects such as this, and more are coming down the pipe.

"We really feel that public investment led to private investment which is now coming to fruition with projects like Ella which is something that, quite frankly, wouldn't be something we would have entertained 10 years ago," said Turri.

"I think that's a testament to the work the city has done but also local businesses and entrepreneurs to make downtown that vibrant place people want to live now."

Actual construction will begin later this month with completion expected in early 2020.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/220422/Ella-breaks-ground

Honestly this is the project I'm most excited about. It may not be the prettiest, but it is in an area of downtown that hasn't seen a tower so far, and is in much need of some revitalization.

[giallo]

^Agreed.

• Video Link

[swpilgrim]

This seems interesting!!

A Vancouver-based developer wants to build a pair of highrise towers directly across the street from Orchard Park Shopping Centre.

Approximately one year ago, District Properties Group bought the four-acre property that housed the office and administration buildings for School District 23, at 1940 Underhill St.

At a luncheon hosted today by HM Commercial Group, Brandon Crema said District’s preliminary plans for the land feature a mixed-use development that includes concrete condo towers, rental apartments, townhomes, and retail units.

Crema, District’s executive vice-president, said his company’s “first cut at” the development plan has the concrete towers stretching 24 and 27 storeys high, filled primarily with for-sale condos.

The rest of the development will be filled out with six-storey, wooden rental apartment buildings, and “some retail and townhouses” on the ground levels.

Here’s the link to full story on this project: https://okanaganedge.net/2018/03/07/major-highrises-next-mall/

[uzi]

a lot of machinery and workers at "the shore" site today.

[hired_goons]

Pictured here are the 2 towers of One Water Street - now under construction.
And the upcoming 33-story hotel/condo tower is going to be even taller than this. Kelowna: not fooling around anymore. (new city motto)

[osirisboy]

Looks very suburban though

[Vin]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Looks very suburban though

I think it's the grass boulevard on the street, and the vacant land across the streets that gives you the impression. It feels more urban if you look at the side with the paved sidewalk all the way to the curb. Combined with retail, this will actually feel quite urban.

True that a taller podium will make it feel even more so. However, this area is at the fringe of Kelowna's downtown, and traditionally industrial. Recent developments here were all residential. This tall mixed development is truly a game changer.

Perhaps the rendering found here would make the two towers seem more urban:
http://onewaterstreet.ca/plans/

[Metro-One]

Yeah, if you know the location of these towers it makes sense.

The eastern frontage is the road that is more likely to become an urban street, and thats where they have wisely placed the storefront retail.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I would need an actual list Name/address, height/storeys, construction/proposed/built would be sufficient.

What the status westcorp hotel and Argus?

Is this enough?

So it is 33 floors, 131 meters. It is officially approved now.



As for address all I know is that it will be built on the former Willow Inn site along Mill Street and Queensway Avenue. Maybe someone on here can give the exact address.

Also, what are the exact heights of One Water Street?
I know we had some official diagrams on here before. The tallest is around 117 metres if I remember correctly.

[WhipperSnapper]

More than enough.

I just need a quick reference list of all the projects. I can muddle my way through the rest but, anything relating to location would save time.

Note: I don't make the drawings.

[csbvan]

I believe that the address is 289 Queensway Ave:
https://www.kelowna.ca/homes-building/property-development/current-developments/dp17-0191

[WhipperSnapper]

This is what I have right now
http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=80545557

[Ogopogo Fan]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

This is what I have right now
http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=80545557

Cool - I would probably add Ellis Parc as well: http://www.ellisparc.com/

[WhipperSnapper]

http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=80548720

[Metro-One]

Here is the official PDF proposal for One Water Street.

Tallest tower is 116.15 metres

Shorter tower is 92.15 metres

http://apps.kelowna.ca/CityPage/DevApps/Z16-0077%20Sunset%20Dr%201187.pdf

Kelowna will literally have its 3 tallest towers all under construction at the same time. That is nothing to dismiss!

Also going through the last 20 pages there are a lot of 10 to 20 story towers proposed / going up.

Kelowna looks to have finally his its stride for towers, and they are all mainly in the downtown area.

[KevD]

Thanks for updating the diagrams list guys. I'm curious to know if anyone is able to make drawings for those and update some other ones. How does one even go about that? Do you need to be a special member or something?

[Bcasey25raptor]

woah, so my home town is now going to FINALLY have a major downtown skyline?

When will these projects complete once they all commence construction? The skyscraper diagram page says 2021, is that accurate?

[Bcasey25raptor]

Can anyone go and snap some pictures of the Kelowna skyline and projects under construction? Would be nice if this city had a regular updates like I see elsewhere. Nice to see my home town finally growing up, literally.

[uzi]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=80548720

what about that aqua project on lakeshore?

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

woah, so my home town is now going to FINALLY have a major downtown skyline?

When will these projects complete once they all commence construction? The skyscraper diagram page says 2021, is that accurate?

Currently Kelowna has 5 towers U/C, ranging in height from 15 to 35 floors. And hopefully the Westcorp hotel gets going this year as well.

They look to all be completed by 2021.

I would say that relative to its current form Kelowna's skyline is arguably about to change more than any other skyline in Canada over the next few years.