More new homes could be built in Kelowna’s developing Capri-Landmark district.
Plans for a five-story, 28-suite building on Pacific Ave. 1220-1230 are currently being examined by city planners.
“The project would give pedestrians and cyclists easy access to all shopping and leisure opportunities in the city center of Capri-Landmark,” writes architect Aaron Whalen in the developer’s application for the city.
“(We) believe that combining a modern design aesthetic with pedestrian-friendly landscape features and contemporary building materials will make a very functional and extremely desirable residential project,” says Whalen.
This is the type of project that city planners had in mind when they came up with a $ 91 million 20-year plan for the Capri-Landmark district that will quadruple the area’s population.
A city council-approved zoning change from duplexes to commercial buildings in the city center will be required before the project under review can continue.
Deviation permission – which is essentially a relaxation of certain building requirements – is also required, although the planning documents now posted on the city’s website do not specify what these are likely to be like.
Last year the city passed a $ 91 million infrastructure development plan for the Capri-Landmark district. It will require new amenities such as additional parks and sidewalks, a public plaza, and a controversial realignment of Sutherland Road to connect directly from Burtch Road to Spall Road.
Overall, with the 20-year program, the Capri-Landmark area with several modern office towers, but also many older commercial properties, is to be converted into a district with a higher density and a mixture of residential, shopping and employment centers.
“We know this is a long-term plan,” said Coun. Gail Given said when the new Capri Landmark plan was passed in April 2019. “It’s not about everything changing in the next year or two.”
By 2040, the number of people in the Capri-Landmark region is expected to quadruple, from less than 3,000 today to around 12,000.
Through various fees and charges, developers are expected to cover roughly half the cost of the $ 91 million infrastructure improvement plan, while Kelowna taxpayers will handle the rest.
