Development

Plans for huge new care home in downtown Vernon coming along

VERNON - The creation of a large, multi-storey care home in downtown Vernon is moving along, but there are concerns it won’t be much to look at. The City of Vernon supported several development variances for the project, which includes 90 residential care beds, 52 assisted living units, 72 one- and two-bedroom condo units, and...

Vernon man leaves legacy atop his beloved Middleton Mountain

VERNON - Many associate Middleton Mountain with the large housing subdivision that encircles it, but if you climb to the very top, you’ll find 90 acres of protected reserve land and one of the most spectacular panoramic views of Vernon. While developers were picking up land around Middleton Mountain around the 1980s, Roy Farnsworth, who...

First Nations hotel and conference centre in the works for West Kelowna

WEST KELOWNA – If Grand Chief Ron Derrickson gets his way, West Kelowna could become a major destination for First Nations business people across North America. He is in the early planning stages of a luxury hotel and conference centre on his 5.5-acre property next to Two Eagles Golf Course off Carrington Road in West...

Property tax exemption? How do I get me one of those?

KELOWNA - It's hard to see what Valley First Credit Union in Rutland, the yet-to-be-built luxury Westcorp hotel near Kerry Park and the newly-rebuilt Kelowna Yacht Club might have in common. But what links them is all are either eligible or have already received a ten-year property tax holiday under Kelowna’s revitalization tax exemption bylaw,...

Construction just around the corner for Vernon’s new Tim Hortons

VERNON - Construction on Vernon’s latest Tim Hortons is expected to start soon across from Beairtso Elementary School. Southborough Vernon Investments Ltd. director David Longpré says the company plans to break ground within the next month and complete the drive-through Tim Hortons and CO-OP Gas Bar by the end of the year. “There’s anticipations it...

Vernon motel could be yours for just over $1M

VERNON - A downtown motel familiar to most Vernon residents is up for sale. The Green Valley Motel on Highway 97 across from Polson Park is on the market for $1,195,000. Built in 1965, the motel features 27 units currently rented out by the month. A description of the listing suggests it has lots of...

South Penticton development gets ready to dig into phase two

PENTICTON - More development is on the way for land overlooking Skaha Lake as the company responsible for the development prepares to launch phase two of the 600-home residential resort community. The $250-million Skaha Hills project in the southern area of Penticton is moving along in small increments, with 20 of their 47 phase one...

Surge in Kelowna rental housing construction

KELOWNA - Rental housing construction is undergoing a renaissance of sorts with the City of Kelowna reporting a surge of construction activity in the last 18 months. Recent focus has been on so-called micro-suites — units with a floor area under 29 square metres — but Doug Gilchrist, director of community planning for the city,...

Micro suite exemptions from development charges prompts policy review by city staff

KELOWNA - It’s the third micro suite project to come before Kelowna city council in the last month and there’s already concerns about the latest housing trend. Councillor Luke Stack says micro suites are exempt from development cost charges under a provincial policy. It means the city can't collect money from the developers to help...

Orchards Walk turns focus to seniors

KAMLOOPS - A development at the east end of Valleyview continues to grow at a quick rate with a 193-unit seniors' housing development next on the agenda for the ever-growing neighbourhood of Orchards Walk. The independent living complex, which developers are currently seeking a development permit for, will be situated on just over 15 hectares...

Half of 2014 development on South Shore

KAMLOOPS - The number of lots created over the past several years has continued to decrease, leaving 2014 well behind the 10-year average of 392 new lots. With about 200 new lots created in 2014, last year had the second lowest number of lots created in the past 10 years and was well behind the...

Vernon sees strongest housing starts in years

VERNON - The City of Vernon is boasting its highest number of housing starts in six years. There were 255 housing starts in 2014, the highest number since 2008, which saw 368 starts.  Meanwhile, overall building permit values jumped to $93 million, almost doubling the $50 million in 2013. It’s all good news in the...

Parking the tipping point for micro-suite apartment approval

KELOWNA - For such small suites, Kelowna city council has some big problems with a high-density apartment building proposed for Dickson Avenue near the Landmark complex. Designs submitted by the developer Dickson Avenue Holdings call for 90 suites, about half of which would be 29 square metres with one parking space included for each unit....