Three more highrises planned for downtown Kelowna

An 80-room hotel is included in a proposal to build three highrises in downtown Kelowna.

Plans also call for 438 market rental apartments, 182 condos, a restaurant and commercial space.

Documents filed with the City of Kelowna as an “early consideration application for rezoning and development variance permit,” show 79 storeys in three towers of 20, 26 and 33 storeys.

It covers 16 residential lots from 555-659 Coronation Street, reaching from St. Paul St. on the west almost to Richter Street on the east and facing north towards Knox Mountain.

It’s one block from the burgeoning Clement Avenue and about three blocks from the soon-to-be-built UBCO downtown campus.

The application was filed by MQN Architects of Vernon and says the land was acquired by Safari Capital, which describes itself, on its website, as “a U.S.-based international investment company with extensive experience in identifying and acquiring quality, diverse and profitable investment opportunities internationally.”

READ MORE: No public hearing needed for Okanagan’s next 35-storey highrise

The land is designated for redevelopment but “the associated contemplated height guidance poses a limitation on achieving the full potential of what could be a very significant contribution to the downtown core," the application says.

With another 45,000 new residents expected in Kelowna by 2040, that means the city needs about 8,100 new housing units over the next 19 years, the application says.

“Tower sites are often constrained, and their ability to step and terrace the built form to transition heights into surrounding context is therefore limited,” the application says. “With this site, we envision a collection of buildings that transition density down from the gateway corner at St. Paul Street down to the east.”

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