Plans afoot to replace former daycare in Kelowna with apartments
Monkey’s Playhouse was one of Kelowna’s better known child care facilities until it closed in about 2012. Now, a decade later, the former church site is subject to a rezoning and development application to build a 150-unit, six-storey rental apartment building.
“The development is committed to offering a quality, long term, affordable housing solution to Kelowna residents,” states a letter from West Point Projects accompanying the application. “Being in direct proximity to the newly planned Kelowna Community Campus, the Landmark District and situated between downtown and UBC makes this use ideal for the vacant property."
Kelowna Community Campus is the term being used by the city to refer to the replacement for Parkinson Recreation Centre, which is almost across the street from Monkey’s.
The site is a 1.37-acre parcel at the top of the hill at 1575 Bernard Ave., near the intersection with Burtch Road. Just to the southwest of that intersection is the Apple Bowl, Parkinson Recreation Centre and a site destined to be a new high school.
“Providing affordable housing options is a key priority for our community,” the application says. “This location is fitting for increased density and the rezoning of this land will be critical in fostering the expansion of the Bernard Avenue corridor.”
A real estate listing from 2010 says Monkey’s Playhouse had a lease until 2012 and referred to it as a church building. The Money’s Playhouse sign remains at the site.
“Being steps from the Urban Core and the Landmark District, there are a multitude of restaurants, events, and community amenities that are all available,” the application says. “Being ‘plugged-in’ will be easy to do from this development.”
The proposal is for access to be off Nobel Court, where there are other apartment buildings, rather than Bernard Avenue and to have ground-level townhouses with patio space facing the street.
There will also be a road dedication for the future expansion of Bernard Avenue, the application says.
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