Pictured is a rendering of Hadgraft Wilson Place, an affordable housing project now under construction in downtown Kelowna.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Government of Canada
February 24, 2021 - 10:55 AM
Nestled next to the proposed UBC Okanagan downtown campus will be a six-storey, 68-unit affordable housing building.
The site at 555 Fuller Ave. is where Pathways Abilities Society used to be located and is across the alley from the UBCO site on Doyle Avenue. That building was used for an emergency winter shelter for the homeless last winter.
The land is owned by the City of Kelowna but the housing is being funded by the federal and provincial governments. Those two levels of government are contributing a total of approximately $12.63 million to the project.
“A vibrant community requires housing of all types and price points," Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran said in a joint news release from several levels of government. "This development will not only increase the amount of affordable housing in city, but also supports the City’s Official Community Plan and the desire for a more dense, walkable downtown core.”
Pathways will manage the building.
“Pathways Abilities Society is very excited that our Fuller Avenue project has come to fruition," Pathways executive director Charisse Daley said in the release. "The new building... will create more affordable homes for people living in our community."
READ MORE: Another high-rise proposed for downtown Kelowna, this one is 46-storeys high
It will offer below-market rentals to low-to-moderate-income singles, seniors, families and people with disabilities, a joint news release from several levels of government states. There will be eight accessible units.
It will be called Hadgraft Wilson Place in honour of two families who were strong advocates for persons with disabilities and supported the society.
Construction has started with an opening date planned for the fall of 2022.
Three highrise towers are proposed for the UBCO campus and five other highrises, one of which could be 46 storeys tall, are proposed or under construction in the block to the south.
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