Kelowna Construction

[Phil McAvity]

^Apologizing for low light in a perfectly good picture? How Canadian

Originally Posted by giallo

Of course, there will be complaints that it should be downtown, but honestly, I think it's going to look really cool have two fully-fledged skylines in the city. The double skyline effect already looks neat coming down the hill from West Kelowna, and on to the bridge.

Glad to see my complaining is actually getting through to some of you, I was starting to wonder if anyone read my posts. What I don't understand is why you want two different skylines in a city that barely has one. If the city planners had any vision they would have placed tall buildings downtown like they do in every other city thus Kelowna would have a skyline that might even rival Victoria's but due to them allowing development everywhere, tall buildings are spread out all over the place so when I posted this picture saying it was the best picture i've ever seen of it's skyline, I was basically mocking Kelowna for the abject lack of planning the city has had:

This looks like the downtown of a town of 50,000 people not the city center of a city of 200,000 people

According to this list, Kelowna should have 5 brand new buildings between 20-36 stories tall so it would be great to see someone with a bit of spare time around here update this page because it's almost 2 years old now: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ngs_in_Kelowna

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Lethbridge

Kelowna


http://anblick.info/why-come-to-kelowna/

Could be a lot better, but not too shabby, and it is growing.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Phil McAvity

This looks like the downtown of a town of 50,000 people not the city center of a city of 200,000 people

According to this list, Kelowna should have 5 brand new buildings between 20-36 stories tall so it would be great to see someone with a bit of spare time around here update this page because it's almost 2 years old now: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ngs_in_Kelowna

What a bizarre photo to choose to show the Kelowna downtown and skyline. When was the last time you came through here? It must have been a couple of decades ago if you think that is a proper representation of downtown Kelowna. I mean, the majority of the photo is a construction site. What a weird choice.

Here are some photos I took of the city eight years ago. They're dated, and a few more highrises have gone up in downtown since then, but yeah, check them out.

clamp by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



group hug by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



mo mo by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



lofty by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



blocked by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



crete by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



duuuude by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr

[Phil McAvity]

It wasn't a weird choice at all, I chose that picture because it almost made Kelowna look like a city. A small city but one nonetheless and most pictures i've seen of downtown make it look like a town of about 20,000 people because as i keep saying, the city has never figured out zoning laws. Thank you for ironically, proving my point with this picture of downtown showcasing it's non-existent skyline:

group hug by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr

[giallo]

I chose multiple photos to give you some perspective of downtown. It seems like you just focused in on one (like the construction photo you've posted here a couple of times), and completely missed the other photo with the boats in the foreground.

Anyway, we obviously disagree. Kelowna's skyline, while not large, it much better than other cities its size, and it'll add another three buildings over 12 storeys in the next year or two. If everything gets built that has been approved, maybe, just maybe, Kelowna will meet your standard of what a city's skyline of 200,000 people should look like.

[jimmyboy95]

Another large sprawl development "Canyon Creek Estates" is proposed out McCulloch Rd, near Myra Canyon Rd turnoff. Not an area I want to see developed, but at least there will be upgrades to McCulloch Rd. That one stretch on the east side of the first creek canyon is even scarier than Westside Rd! Couldn't find a website for them, and this project may be having troubles. The new streets were pushed through in Spring 2017, but nothing seems to have continued since. I'm really hoping the neighborhood will be a bit more of a rural style instead of suburban. Leave some of the Ponderosa Pines and Douglas-fir.

[Pejamu]

Originally Posted by jimmyboy95

Another large sprawl development "Canyon Creek Estates" is proposed out McCulloch Rd, near Myra Canyon Rd turnoff. Not an area I want to see developed, but at least there will be upgrades to McCulloch Rd. That one stretch on the east side of the first creek canyon is even scarier than Westside Rd! Couldn't find a website for them, and this project may be having troubles. The new streets were pushed through in Spring 2017, but nothing seems to have continued since. I'm really hoping the neighborhood will be a bit more of a rural style instead of suburban. Leave some of the Ponderosa Pines and Douglas-fir.

I delivered a package for a excavating company to the address of that development about a month ago, there were only 2 guys there that i could see with one pickup truck and one digger so its still somewhat active.

[Twindragon]

I was downtown today and I saw a fence go up where the parking lot is behind the old bargain store on st paul. Looks like they will be starting to work on brooklyn very soon.

[240glt]

Those are great photos of Kelowna and I think they illustrate perfectly why people love it there. Kelowna has a lot of really great qualities and the lack of a defined skyline really isn't a factor in the city's desirability. I'd rather a nice city in a beautiful natural environment with lots of recreational opportunities and a good climate than say, Edmonton, which has the second tallest tower outside Toronto but is a bit of a shithole regardless.

[Phrescata]

Originally Posted by Twindragon

I was downtown today and I saw a fence go up where the parking lot is behind the old bargain store on st paul. Looks like they will be starting to work on brooklyn very soon.

Exciting news!
This tower is taller than Ella, correct? I wonder when the next 2 towers on this site will be announced.

[Twindragon]

Phrescata

Yeah it is going to be 25 stories compared to ellas 20. Pretty cool. Will be nice to see all of the cranes throughout the skyline.

Then if the westcorp hotel starts going up this year I will be pretty happy. Its been far too long waiting for that development to get going.

[240glt]

Of interest just up the highway, the long vacant Woolworths building on 30th Ave downtown has been sold and is currently being renovated into six separate commercial retail units. Original plans to add several levels of residential apartments will not happen unfortunately.

Also a six story hotel has been approved near Village Green Mall. Construction is expected to start right away on the hotel which will be branded a Best Western

[KelownaResident]

Originally Posted by Twindragon

Phrescata

Yeah it is going to be 25 stories compared to ellas 20. Pretty cool. Will be nice to see all of the cranes throughout the skyline.

Then if the westcorp hotel starts going up this year I will be pretty happy. Its been far too long waiting for that development to get going.

There is reasonable certainty that sales for the residential units at the Westcorp Downtown Kelowna Hotel will begin in 2019.

https://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/...e-end-of-2019/

Although I haven't seen work going inside the former bank, I have seen the signage change from advertisement for leasing the property to a contractor's signage. I believe it's Redline Contracting or something.

It'll be interesting to see how many of these projects go forward. Brooklyn will be a very good thermometer as it's ones of the most recent ones (if not the most) of these towers to go on sale.

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by giallo

it'll add another three buildings over 12 storeys in the next year or two.

Will any of those buildings be downtown?

[KevD]

Originally Posted by giallo

I chose multiple photos to give you some perspective of downtown. It seems like you just focused in on one (like the construction photo you've posted here a couple of times), and completely missed the other photo with the boats in the foreground.

Anyway, we obviously disagree. Kelowna's skyline, while not large, it much better than other cities its size, and it'll add another three buildings over 12 storeys in the next year or two. If everything gets built that has been approved, maybe, just maybe, Kelowna will meet your standard of what a city's skyline of 200,000 people should look like.

I appreciate your effort to try and show Phil a proper representation of Kelowna but unfortunately it’s a lost cause. Phil is an anti-kelowna troll and is best to probably just be ignored when he’s clearly only coming here to be negative and bash our beautiful city. Sorry Phil, but it had to be said.

[240glt]

I remember when the first Landmark buildings went up, people were lamenting that it wasn't downtown, and that's fair enough, in the early to mid 90's the downtown could've used the injection of business and people. But in retrospect Kelowna actually dodged a bullet, Can you imagine if it had been built downtown now ? Yes the newest tower is quite nice but the older ones are pure suburban office park stock and there's no guarantee they'd have been any different if they were located in the downtown. Instead now Kelowna has walkable animated streets full of amenities and small businesses rather than blank walls and parkades. Other cities like Edmonton went the other route, building large soul-less buildings which create barren soul-less streets and that can never be changed back. Kelowna should consider itself lucky in that regard.

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by 240glt

I remember when the first Landmark buildings went up, people were lamenting that it wasn't downtown, and that's fair enough, in the early to mid 90's the downtown could've used the injection of business and people. But in retrospect Kelowna actually dodged a bullet. Can you imagine if it had been built downtown now? Yes the newest tower is quite nice but the older ones are pure suburban office park stock and there's no guarantee they'd have been any different if they were located in the downtown.

Their location is exactly why they're, "pure suburban office park stock", had they been put downtown like they should have been, no one would be saying that about them.

Originally Posted by KevD

I appreciate your effort to try and show Phil a proper representation of Kelowna but unfortunately it’s a lost cause. Phil is an anti-kelowna troll and is best to probably just be ignored when he’s clearly only coming here to be negative and bash our beautiful city. Sorry Phil, but it had to be said.

This is so wrong it actually made me laugh out loud since I have nothing against Kelowna, in fact given your real estate prices I figure Kelowna's got to be a pretty nice city actually although it's been decades since I was there. My only objection has been city council's incompetence at zoning tall buildings downtown where they should be, like every other city, which I have repeatedly stated. Hopefully this time you'll catch it

You shouldn't apologize though, even though you're wrong I like hearing opinions.

[240glt]

Their location is exactly why they're, "pure suburban office park stock", had they been put downtown like they should have been, no one would be saying that about them.

No that's not true. There was no authority in Kelowna that would have required anything different. There is no magic rule that says that buildings downtown look better than buildings in office parks. It's what the developer decides to build, and without some sort of guiding standards that's what you get. I'll bet anything that if those buildings had gone downtown they'd look exactly the same.

As I said before, tall buildings are not a panacea for downtrodden downtowns. Just look at Edmonton. Luckily Kelowna's downtown has shifted to more of a lifestyle/ experience type of environment which suits the city very nicely.

[KelownaResident]

I have to agree with 240glt. Although Edmonton has a lot of tall buildings it just feels dead and boring. I like Kelowna because of the feel you get walking down the streets. Tree-lined sidewalks and lots of businesses on Bernard makes for a nice ending for lunch or dinner after a walk on the promenade starting from the dolphins. Mind you, it could use some cleaning up around Leon and Lawrence, but that'll come in time I think.

[Twindragon]

Im not sure why there is even a debate on whether or not the kelowna dt has a good skyline or not. Personally I think its non existent but its going to get better in the next 5 years and beyond. The area around prospera is going to be particularly good with one water street and ellis parc. If they build those other proposed towers in the parking lot of prospera (which im sure they will) Kelowna is going to look very different. Sure the buildings aren't sandwiched next to each other but I think once you have brooklyn and ella and all of the other highrises you will be able to have some nice views looking north coming off the bridge.

At least kelowna has some decent developments proposed. If you look at cities like regina or saskatoon which are close to the same size there have barely been any highrise developments since the 80s I think.