As Mayor Tom Dyas noted at Monday乌鸦传媒檚 (May 27) meeting, stalled construction at a downtown heritage site has become a 乌鸦传媒渂it of an eye-sore乌鸦传媒� and is an emotional issue for council.

Plans by the Mark Anthony Group to build a 12-storey boutique hotel on the former site of the Daily Courier, at the corner of Lawrence Avenue and Water Street, were dashed after negotiations with a neighbouring property fell through.

乌鸦传媒淲e had a verbal agreement with the neighbour and when it came time to sign that agreement it fell apart,乌鸦传媒� Slava Korshunov, with Mark Anthony Group, told council. 乌鸦传媒淲e were quite upset, we still want to build a hotel eventually.乌鸦传媒�

READ MORE: Downtown Kelowna heritage facade could become 12-storey hotel

Previous to that was a plan for a wine education centre approved by the city in 2020 but scrapped after the group could not obtain a liquor license.

The lot has sat empty since with a crane on site and the heritage facade of the building supported by scaffolding. The current application is a four-storey mixed-use building.

乌鸦传媒淲e are studying multiple options,乌鸦传媒� Korshunov added. 乌鸦传媒淚t needs to make financial sense for the company and it needs to make sense for the city.乌鸦传媒�

Zoning limits the building to three storeys, so an amendment is required to allow four storeys. Councillor Charlie Hodge questioned staff about the proposed heights of the different applications.

乌鸦传媒淥ur primary concern is that equality development goes forward that incorporates the heritage facade there,乌鸦传媒� Ryan Smith, director of planning and development said. 乌鸦传媒淭here needs to be some flexibility to do that.乌鸦传媒�

Hodge added there is a long history with previous councils to keep high-rises off that block.

乌鸦传媒淐ouncils came and went and it was fought over adamantly by many residents to keep it at that low block.乌鸦传媒�

Coun. Luke Stack also preferred a lower-height building and preserving the character of the area.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not three storeys as Coun. Hodge would like it, but it乌鸦传媒檚 close. If they do a good job of maintaining the heritage facade I think it乌鸦传媒檚 a good way forward.乌鸦传媒�

Coun. Rick Webber was concerned that the building乌鸦传媒檚 use isn乌鸦传媒檛 defined by the applicant.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e being asked to approve it and send it along its way and I don乌鸦传媒檛 know if that乌鸦传媒檚 a good idea.乌鸦传媒�

Coun. Ron Cannan suggested staff work with the applicant乌鸦传媒檚 neighbour to see what could be accomplished.

乌鸦传媒淪omething that could be a win-win for the community because this is a landmark building.乌鸦传媒�

Smith told council staff have been pushing the applicant to move forward with the project.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 confident that whether it乌鸦传媒檚 the four-storey or a higher option that something of great quality could happen.乌鸦传媒�

Coun. Loyal Wooldridge, while supporting the development going to a public hearing, was frustrated that the project has stalled for four years and that the current application is lacking in detail.

乌鸦传媒淢y expectation would be higher quality renderings to know exactly what the vision of this would be. It乌鸦传媒檚 been in scaffold for far too long.乌鸦传媒�

Council voted to give the height amendment first reading and send the project to a public hearing with Hodge opposed.

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