Library Parkade expansion part of $1 billion worth of projects planned for the city. Photographer: John McDonald

Kelowna’s big ticket spending plans for 2016 on display at open house

KELOWNA – A public overview of 2016 capital projects will be available to local residents for the first time.

This year, the city will begin some $45 million in capital projects while carrying over construction of another $145 million from 2015.

An overview previously only available to media will be open to the public at the Okanagan Regional Library on Ellis Street from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30.

Projects slated to begin this year include a traffic roundabout at Valley and Cross Roads and expanded soccer facilities at Rutland Centennial Park.

Continuing this year is construction of the $48-million police services building and the Memorial and Library Parkades.

City planners will also present an overview of planned increases to development cost charges, the charges paid to the city for providing roads and other services to new subdivisions and other infill projects.

Council is considering increases of between four and 14 per cent depending on the service. The city last increased the charges in 2011.

To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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John McDonald

John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca

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