Kelowna Construction

[giallo]

^ That's for the best.

I grew up, and my parents still live in Crawford Estates, and once they punch that road through, connecting Crawford to Southwest Mission/Mission Hills, traffic will (relatively) explode in Crawford. And let's not kid ourselves, Crawford Rd. is essentially a country road at heart. It has no sidewalks or any space to expand.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by DKaz

Kelowna's too far to be anyone's suburb. This area is the result of the old resort town planning and that's fine. The urban centre when built up will be encompassed by Doyle, Richter, Harvey, and the lake.

Not really.

Its an easy flight commute for Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

Easy telecommute for those fortunate enough to work remotely.

Its an appealing city that's definitely dating up above its status. That's very much a good thing.

[DKaz]

Originally Posted by giallo

^ That's for the best.

I grew up, and my parents still live in Crawford Estates, and once they punch that road through, connecting Crawford to Southwest Mission/Mission Hills, traffic will (relatively) explode in Crawford. And let's not kid ourselves, Crawford Rd. is essentially a country road at heart. It has no sidewalks or any space to expand.

They modified Saucier/Stewart Road to make it a designated commuter corridor to Crawford, and there's the South Perimeter Road still planned between Gordon Dr and Stewart Rd.

Originally Posted by rofina

Not really.

Its an easy flight commute for Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

Easy telecommute for those fortunate enough to work remotely.

Its an appealing city that's definitely dating up above its status. That's very much a good thing.

Well considering at the height of things I think like 5,000 people in the Kelowna area worked in the oil sands, yea sure. But it's technically not a suburb of any city, it is its own urban area with lots of jobs.

I hated how Abbotsford treated itself as a suburb of Vancouver rather than its own urban centre.

[Metro-One]

Are we seriously having a debate on whether or not Kelowna is a suburb????

Jesus Christ!

Kelowna may be in the hinterlands of Vancouver, Calgary and to a lesser extent Edmonton, but it is very much its own urban Centre with its own identity separated by all the above by hundreds of kilometers of mountain wilderness...

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Are we seriously having a debate on whether or not Kelowna is a suburb????

Jesus Christ!

Kelowna may be in the hinterlands of Vancouver, Calgary and to a lesser extent Edmonton, but it is very much its own urban Centre with its own identity separated by all the above by hundreds of kilometers of mountain wilderness...

I perhaps mischaracterized my stance.

I think Kelowna is very different than those locales, definitely miles apart from Vancouver. To me that's a very positive thing.

But it definitely attracts what I think is a disproportionate amount of big city folk, my self included.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by rofina

I perhaps mischaracterized my stance.

I think Kelowna is very different than those locales, definitely miles apart from Vancouver. To me that's a very positive thing.

But it definitely attracts what I think is a disproportionate amount of big city folk, my self included.

I think that will be a beneficial change for Kelowna, as hopefully people relocating from bigger cities bring new opportunities (I'd say it is already happening with a much improved beer scene and food scene popping up).

[giallo]

Originally Posted by DKaz

They modified Saucier/Stewart Road to make it a designated commuter corridor to Crawford, and there's the South Perimeter Road still planned between Gordon Dr and Stewart Rd.

While the modification to Stewart is appreciated (that blind corner/bump intersecting with Saucier was super dangerous), no extra lanes were added to deal with a potential 1200 new homes in the future. The Gordon/Stewart extension would just divert traffic in to two areas already ill-equipped for the extra traffic flow.

The real deal breaker isn't Crawford though. It's Kettle Valley. Traffic has been backed up for years along Gordon Dr in the morning, and it's only gotten worse as more houses have been added in the Frost Rd. area.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by rofina

I perhaps mischaracterized my stance.

I think Kelowna is very different than those locales, definitely miles apart from Vancouver. To me that's a very positive thing.

But it definitely attracts what I think is a disproportionate amount of big city folk, my self included.

That makes more sense and I agree with that. I would extend that to the interior in general. In my personal sphere the following people have relocated from Metro-Vancouver to the interior:

My sister and her family: Nelson
My parents: Nelson
My sister’s husband’s father and wife: Nelson
My brother: Kelowna
My sister’s best friend: Kelowna
My sister’s other good friend: Penticton
Two of my good high school friends: Kamloops
Another good high school friend: Princeton

That’s just off the top of my head, there are many more for sure. My Facebook feed had become more and more of people’s family and other personal images obviously taken in the interior.

Some of my cousins and one of my uncles now are considering moving to Kelowna or Nelson as well.

When (if) I move back to BC it will be to the interior (likely Kelowna) than metro Vancouver. The cost benefit of living in the Okanagan and other areas of the interior has become much better than the coast now. Seriously, Vancouver has really dipped since I left with its increasingly hostile cultural climate, the asinine homeless problem, and extreme affordability crisis. Not to mention how much I love the dry interior landscape and climate.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

That makes more sense and I agree with that. I would extend that to the interior in general. In my personal sphere the following people have relocated from Metro-Vancouver to the interior:

My sister and her family: Nelson
My parents: Nelson
My sister’s husband’s father and wife: Nelson
My brother: Kelowna
My sister’s best friend: Kelowna
My sister’s other good friend: Penticton
Two of my good high school friends: Kamloops
Another good high school friend: Princeton

That’s just off the top of my head, there are many more for sure. My Facebook feed had become more and more of people’s family and other personal images obviously taken in the interior.

Some of my cousins and one of my uncles now are considering moving to Kelowna or Nelson as well.

When (if) I move back to BC it will be to the interior (likely Kelowna) than metro Vancouver. The cost benefit of living in the Okanagan and other areas of the interior has become much better than the coast now. Seriously, Vancouver has really dipped since I left with its increasingly hostile cultural climate, the asinine homeless problem, and extreme affordability crisis. Not to mention how much I love the dry interior landscape and climate.

Agreed on all fronts. I wont make this thread about Vancouver, but I do have to say that Vancouverities and those "in the bubble" are very underestimating of just how far and how fast the City has fallen. I'm not one for hyperbole - but its not good here. The trash, the lack of civic care, the human feces, the homelessness, the crime, the affordability or lack of, its turned into one gigantic indistinguishable nightmare.

Lots of locals are blind to this through decades of conditioning to "best place on Earth." For anyone who has come and gone in the last 5 years, its a near unrecognizable transition for the MUCH worse.

As denial persists in Vancouver, I expect the growth in the Interior to be outsized - people are quietly slipping out in large numbers. The interior offers all the best of Vancouver outdoors, a limited but growing food scene, and a bit more affordability to give the younger generation a chance at some risks and to make the region a fun playground.

I think Kelowna is at the heart of being able to capitalize on that social capital, being the "big City" of the region.

Very bright future for the Interior that I can see.

[Homerbush]

Here are a few pictures from a drive around town today: One Water, Brooklyn, site of Bertram/Block, and Landmark 7.
One Water Street:


Brooklyn:

Bargain Shop site completely demolished now:


Landmark cladding going up:

[giallo]

The glass on Landmark 7 looks really good.

Great update. Thanks!

[The Great Scaper]

Great photos. Pretty exciting changes.

[LFC]

Here is a very cool shot of Kelowna I found on Castanet, by Mathew Shatford.

[rdave]

Fantastic update! Landmark 7 is starting to look great. Im just wondering, could those potentially be vertical LED light bars its facade? If so, this would be groundbreaking for Kelowna's skyline during night. Not many striking light installations around the city yet.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by LFC

Here is a very cool shot of Kelowna I found on Castanet, by Mathew Shatford.

What a great looking City.

Awesome shot.

[EdmTrekker]

Originally Posted by rofina

What a great looking City. Awesome shot.

What is that tall tower? It seems taler than anything shown in Skyscraper diagram: https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=48

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by EdmTrekker

What is that tall tower? It seems taler than anything shown in Skyscraper diagram: https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=48

It is One Water Street (36 storeys, 119m). The second tower in the development is now under construction as well, and is 24 storeys and 98m.

[Homerbush]

Originally Posted by csbvan

It is One Water Street (36 storeys, 119m). The second tower in the development is now under construction as well, and is 24 storeys and 98m.

I was under the impression that the second tower would be 29 storeys? The height listed seems appropriate for that number of storeys as well. Could be wrong though?

[csbvan]

Yes that was a typo. Should say 29 storeys.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

That makes more sense and I agree with that. I would extend that to the interior in general. In my personal sphere the following people have relocated from Metro-Vancouver to the interior:

My sister and her family: Nelson
My parents: Nelson
My sister’s husband’s father and wife: Nelson
My brother: Kelowna
My sister’s best friend: Kelowna
My sister’s other good friend: Penticton
Two of my good high school friends: Kamloops
Another good high school friend: Princeton

That’s just off the top of my head, there are many more for sure. My Facebook feed had become more and more of people’s family and other personal images obviously taken in the interior.

Some of my cousins and one of my uncles now are considering moving to Kelowna or Nelson as well.

When (if) I move back to BC it will be to the interior (likely Kelowna) than metro Vancouver. The cost benefit of living in the Okanagan and other areas of the interior has become much better than the coast now. Seriously, Vancouver has really dipped since I left with its increasingly hostile cultural climate, the asinine homeless problem, and extreme affordability crisis. Not to mention how much I love the dry interior landscape and climate.

Just heard from Destination Castlegar that the top city inquiring about moving here is Vancouver.