A Kelowna group says the city is making a big mistake with a key piece of property. The former RCMP property is close to the water, the theatre, and surrounded by other civic properties. A group calling itself the Kelowna Legacy Group has a vision for the land that could make it a legacy project for generations to enjoy. But there's a problem. The city has already committed to having it developed into a condo project. The group's message to the city: Put on the brakes and put the development plan on hold, and take time to consider something greater for the community.
"To sell off these parcels of land here in this critical area of the downtown core is a piecemeal, non-holistic approach," said Phil Whealy, a spokesperson for the group. "We're actually sitting on some of the most valuable potentially cultural and community building real estate in the entire city."
"It is a key piece that can be used for decades, for hundreds of years," said realtor Elton Ash. "And to be so short-sighted as to be selling it as a condo project or technically long term lease as a condo project just doesn't make sense."
The timing of the suggestions coming from the group isn't great, however. Developers have already completed their replies to the city's request for proposals.
Over at City Hall, the Strategic Land Development Manager for the City of Kelowna, Graham Hood, points out that there was extensive consultation over the future of the entire area. "In 2015 and 2016, we spent a year going through a public engagement process," said Hood."We're still proceeding." But Hood acknowledged that council would always have the power to put on the brakes. And the group says that's all their asking for.
"We're just saying, 'Pause a minute,'" said Whealy.
The group has produced a video that gives you an idea of what they have in mind, but they say they're not tied to anything that specific. "What we've done is just try to expand the thinking. Just to say, we can think world-class here, we can think legacy. We actually can do this."
You can view the video here.
