A woman walks by the shell of the former Lucaya development on Sunset Drive in Kelowna.
(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)
May 19, 2016 - 6:30 PM
LUCAYA SITE ON SUNSET DRIVE HAS LAY DORMANT SINCE 2008
KELOWNA - The owners of the former Lucaya highrise site are finding it more difficult to bring the project back to life than expected.
“They are disappointed it’s taking a whole lot longer than they hoped,” community planning manager Ryan Smith says.
Jingon Development Corporation purchased the Lucaya site last year with hopes of restarting construction on the rusting foundation on Sunset Drive and renaming it Grace.
Smith says Jingon had trouble finding a local contractor who could finish constructing the highrise and was considering giving up a plan to increase the number of units and thus avoid having to repeat the entire development application process.
“If the project were to move ahead according to the original plan, that would make it a whole lot easier,” he says.
Smith says the company’s engineers had already examined the foundation, which has sat exposed to the elements since the original project stalled in 2008.
“It’s still viable,” he says.
Smith is guarded in his estimation of the long-stalled highrise being resurrected.
“We like to be optimistic. They say will move ahead and we hope they do, but we’ve heard that a number of times before."
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