(JULIE WHITTET / iNFOnews.ca)
March 11, 2013 - 7:33 AM
By Julie Whittet
A trailer park on Lakeshore Drive across from Rotary Beach may soon be a new urban hub for visitors and residents of Kelowna.
City council will meet today to review a proposal to create a large-scale retail, tourism and housing development in the site currently occupied by the Hiawatha RV Park.
Real estate company Westcorp has applied to City Hall to re-zone the 18-acre site to construct an urban plaza complete with hotels, apartment buildings and a conference centre. The revitalization project envisions a pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood, with community gardens, park trails and a wetland restoration around Wilson Creek. City councillors must approve a number of zoning amendments before giving the project a green light.
Many long-time residents of the 48-year-old RV park have already sold their mobile homes in anticipation of the project. While residents have not been given official notice yet, resident Larry Rempel feels like “we've been given the boot.” Westcorp recently held a meeting with the community, many of them seniors, to discuss potential relocation packages. But for Rempel, who has spent many years renovating his home, selling in the near future will likely mean taking a big loss.
"The main issue is that... we want fair market value,” Rempel says.
Edmonton-based Westcorp Properties Inc. purchased Hiawatha Park five years ago and currently manages the property, RV Park and campground.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Julie Whittet at jwhittet@infotelnews.ca or call (250) 718-0428.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013