Kelowna councillor concerned with 'shakiness' of latest downtown highrise proposal
A Kelowna city councillor expressed “shakiness” about a 40-storey tower proposed for the lot next to the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s downtown highrise debacle.
Developer Mission Group has proposed a 40-storey tower with 384 rental units just north of the UBCO construction site that caused major damage to surrounding buildings, including the damage that caused the evacuation of Hadgraft Wilson Place.
UBCO’s damage to Hadgraft Wilson Place and the subsequent displacement of residents, many of whom are disabled or on fixed incomes, is the subject of multiple lawsuits one of which includes the City of Kelowna.
Kelowna councillor Rick Webber expressed some concern about the project at a council meeting earlier this week.
“I think everybody in Kelowna when they heard about this tower proposal had this shakiness to them like we’re going to try to put another tower in so close to the one that’s had issues,” Webber said. “They’re going to be keeping a very very close eye, a public eye, on the engineering aspects of this project.”
The main problem with the UBCO tower was the depth of the parking garage. Since Kelowna has such soft soil there were settling issues which caused the damage to neighbouring buildings.
After Hadgraft Wilson Place was evacuated construction on the UBCO site was paused. Construction of the tower has resumed but with a shallower parking garage.
READ MORE: ‘I just want to move on’: Evacuated resident can’t escape UBCO tower debacle
Councillor Ron Cannan also raised questions about the stability of building such a large tower next to the UBCO site at Monday's council meeting.
“We know with the UBCO property there are still uncertainties with the ground stabilization. If we continue to move forward with this application, the rezoning, is it not premature until we have resolved the adjacent property?” Cannan said.
Mission Group initially proposed the building back in February with some condos and some rentals, but since the real estate market has shown a need for rentals it went to council for approval to change the plan to make the building just 384 rental units.
The city manager Doug Gilchrist told council since the motion was regarding changing the tower to be entirely rentals, it was reasonable to approve it and deal with the engineering specifics later.
The proposed tower would be the fourth tallest building in the city and it would have a four-storey above ground parking garage with 323 parking stalls.
Council approved the motion, but councillors Cannan and Charlie Hodge opposed it.
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