Kelowna Construction - Page 127

csbvan · #**2521** Posted **Jan 10, 2020, 4:48 AM**

My god. What an impressive proposal for Kelowna. Downtown is on fire.

mountainman · #**2522** Posted **Jan 10, 2020, 4:57 AM**

I see the applicants used a screenshot of the Kelowna diagram page from the forum!

DKaz · #**2523** Posted **Jan 10, 2020, 6:07 PM**

Incredible! Love the detailing to the streetscape too. These are the types of projects that propel Kelowna towards big city status, although I do hope they retain some of their small city charm.

Pejamu · #**2524** Posted **Jan 10, 2020, 6:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KelownaResident

What are the podium heights?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homerbush

Or is that all on top of a 6 storey podium? I am confused!

The bottom six floors (the podium) of each building are parking with the tallest building having an additional parking level below grade.

DKaz · #**2525** Posted **Jan 10, 2020, 11:23 PM**

This story finally broke out on Castanet. Overall positive review in the Facebook comments, some typical comments from those opposed ("We're not Vancouver", "Basran's been paid", etc.)

svlt · #**2526** Posted **Jan 10, 2020, 11:50 PM**

Those originally lofty projections of the future built form for Kelowna might even be underestimating how much development could happen to the downtown area

KelownaResident · #**2527** Posted **Jan 11, 2020, 1:01 AM**

Could. But let's not forget the few that made noise and just that.

Monaco
24Kelowna

Westcorp Tower and Prospera Towers currently. Lots of noise, no shovels to the ground.

Twindragon · #**2528** Posted **Jan 11, 2020, 2:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KelownaResident

Could. But let's not forget the few that made noise and just that.

Monaco
24Kelowna

Westcorp Tower and Prospera Towers currently. Lots of noise, no shovels to the ground.

24 might still be in the planning stages. If you look at the developers website they mention 24 and it was pretty recent. I also think westcorp will go thru. They are opening the presentation center this spring. Then the prospera towers will also probably eventually go ahead. The owners of prospera always had a plan to put towers there. Kelowna has changed a lot since the Monaco times. The plan is to densify the downtown so I think much of these proposals will go ahead. We still need to see what proposal will go thru where the old RCMP site is. In the next 5 years kelowna is going to have a decent skyline.

Vin · #**2529** Posted **Jan 12, 2020, 3:36 AM**

Wow! Would be nice if one of the large podiums is a shopping mall. That would bring the retail/food and beverage commercial vibrancy back to the heart of downtown Kelowna. That's one progressive development proposal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKaz

This story finally broke out on Castanet. Overall positive review in the Facebook comments, some typical comments from those opposed ("We're not Vancouver", "Basran's been paid", etc.)

Don't worry, downtown Vancouver isn't getting this kind and scale of development since the 70s. So yeah, it will never be Vancouver.

Pejamu · #**2530** Posted **Jan 12, 2020, 9:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

Wow! Would be nice if one of the large podiums is a shopping mall. That would bring the retail/food and beverage commercial vibrancy back to the heart of downtown Kelowna. That's one progressive development proposal.

As with almost every tower i can think of in Kelowna that is on a "Podium" the term Podium is just a fancy way of saying Parking.

KevD · #**2531** Posted **Jan 13, 2020, 12:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pejamu

As with almost every tower i can think of in Kelowna that is on a "Podium" the term Podium is just a fancy way of saying Parking.

And shops! Lol

mountainman · #**2532** Posted **Jan 13, 2020, 6:50 AM**

A few recent updates:

mountainman · #**2533** Posted **Jan 13, 2020, 6:55 AM**

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/274200/condo-building-in-works

Six story condo development at Cawston and Richter. One of several within a few blocks of here, perfect area for densification.

Prometheus · #**2534** Posted **Jan 13, 2020, 5:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pejamu

The bottom six floors (the podium) of each building are parking...

If that is the case, then I think this project will in fact do very little to bring any pleasing urbanity to the streetscape. Building above ground parkades is very harmful to Kelowna's (or any city's) urban aspirations and potential. It's not the way to go, at all.

csbvan · #**2535** Posted **Jan 13, 2020, 6:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prometheus

If that is the case, then I think this project will in fact do very little to bring any pleasing urbanity to the streetscape. Building above ground parkades is very harmful to Kelowna's (or any city's) urban aspirations and potential. It's not the way to go, at all.

Like every other building in downtown Kelowna, the podium will be parking with a ground-floor retail component. So the streetscape will be CRUs, above that will be parking. This is required in the City because the downtown core has a very high water table.

KelownaResident · #**2536** Posted **Jan 13, 2020, 6:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by csbvan

Like every other building in downtown Kelowna, the podium will be parking with a ground-floor retail component. So the streetscape will be CRUs, above that will be parking. This is required in the City because the downtown core has a very high water table.

I don't think it's required but rather the cheap way to build. Westcorp's revised proposal includes 2 below ground levels for parking, and they're MUCH closer to the edge of the water. So I'm unsure why these towers can't at least match that.

This proposal screams pure profit. Maximum height is being sought with a fairly uncreative design and minimum parking (over 200 stalls short of the requirement). I hope it doesn't pass unless there's a decent amount of improvements to the design.

giallo · #**2537** Posted **Jan 13, 2020, 10:49 PM**

Thanks for the updates, mountainman. It looks like there's a decent amount of snow in Kelowna now.

Vin · #**2538** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 12:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pejamu

As with almost every tower i can think of in Kelowna that is on a "Podium" the term Podium is just a fancy way of saying Parking.

Deep sigh.

DKaz · #**2539** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 7:46 AM**

From an engineering standpoint, ground water is terrible to deal with. Yes it could be pumped but the best thing to do is avoid it altogether.

Is the access to the below grade portion of the Memorial parkade still blocked off due to groundwater?

rdave · #**2540** Posted **Jan 14, 2020, 6:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KelownaResident

This proposal screams pure profit. Maximum height is being sought with a fairly uncreative design and minimum parking (over 200 stalls short of the requirement). I hope it doesn't pass unless there's a decent amount of improvements to the design.

I couldn't agree more. Design is a little mundane. Such overwhelming development shouldn't be rushed and approved left right and center, especially development of this magnitude, because that is when some things get overlooked and/or done wrong.