Massive rental housing project planned for Kelowna
A 401-unit, five-building rental apartment project across from Orchard Park mall in Kelowna is headed to a public hearing next week.
Kelowna city council moved the application, by Manitoba-based Ironclad Developments, forward after reviewing the proposal today, March 7.
The project is planned for the southwest corner of Springfield and Benvoulin roads, bounded by Benvoulin Court on the south.
It will contain five buildings that will be six stories tall and one small "events” building.
The plans call for 679 square metres of commercial space at the Springfield Road and Benvoulin Court intersection. It's a small fraction of commercial space that is called for by the zoning but, Ironclad argued, being so close to Orchard Park and other strip malls, and with limited road access, that much commercial use is likely not viable.
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The apartments will be in five buildings while the sixth — a one-storey tall, 56 square metre commercial building — is proposed to break up the two apartment complexes facing Benvoulin Road.
It will be designed as a “commercial/event centre” that could be rented by residents or community groups for things like movie nights, markets, art shows or pop-up commercial events.
Ironclad is applying for an “Urban Centre Commercial (residential rental tenure only)” zone so that the units remain rental for the long term. They range in size from studio apartments to three bedrooms and are expected to appeal to students, young professionals, seniors and small families.
The only concern raised by council was the lack of green space on the site so they encouraged staff to work with the developer to provide more when it comes back for a development permit.
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