A controversial tower development proposed for downtown Kelowna, which is entangled in a lawsuit, has been stalled again.
Council voted 7-2 at a public hearing Tuesday (May 13) to deny development permits for a 25-storey building on the site of the former RCMP detachment. It was the second public hearing for the project on city-owned property.
The decision came after several impassioned pleas from residents to maintain 乌鸦传媒渃ivic values乌鸦传媒� and further the city乌鸦传媒檚 cultural scene at the site.
乌鸦传媒淭his site sits on the heart of the cultural district,乌鸦传媒� Ellis Street resident Les Bellamy told council. 乌鸦传媒淎 place designed to foster creativity, community and civic life乌鸦传媒攏ot towers.乌鸦传媒�
The proposed development at 350 Doyle Avenue has been a focal point of community debate, legal challenges, and shifting city policies since its inception.
Appelt Properties and Wexford Developments have proposed a building that includes 259 rental units, ground-level commercial spaces, and an extension of the city's Art Walk. The design features a single tower atop a five-storey podium with tiered setbacks to minimize street-level impact.
乌鸦传媒淚 want council to think about the future of our cultural district and the best use of that property,乌鸦传媒� implored Myles Bruckal, president of Citizens for a New Performing Arts Centre. 乌鸦传媒淭here are many other sites in Kelowna that are proposed for residential purposes乌鸦传媒攖here is not a high need for this.乌鸦传媒�
That message was heard loud and clear by council.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e heard from a lot of folks who are really concerned, even at the same time saying 乌鸦传媒榠t乌鸦传媒檚 beautiful, just not here,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 Councillor Gord Lovegrove noted.
Coun. Ron Cannan questioned if the development was the best use of the land.
乌鸦传媒淒oes it reflect our long-term vision for our cultural district?乌鸦传媒�
The height of the building, which was originally 13 storeys, was a concern for several councillors.
乌鸦传媒淭his is way too big according to what we had ordered up,乌鸦传媒� Coun. Charlie Hodge noted. 乌鸦传媒淔or me乌鸦传媒攖o get to 25 storeys乌鸦传媒攊s something I can乌鸦传媒檛 do.乌鸦传媒�
Coun. Mohini Singh was on the same page.
乌鸦传媒淎sking for extra height in my humble opinion乌鸦传媒攊t乌鸦传媒檚 a bit rich,乌鸦传媒� she said.
The project's journey has been tumultuous. Initially approved by council in 2022, the development faced backlash when it was revealed that several individuals who spoke in favour at a previous public hearing were compensated $250 each. The revelation led council to rescind the development permits in August 2023, citing concerns over the integrity of the public consultation process.
In response, the developers filed lawsuits against the city and Mayor Tom Dyas, alleging that rescinding the permits was driven by political motives and improper conduct. The city has denied these allegations, asserting that due process was followed.
At Tuesday's hearing, Dyas voted against approving the development permit which asked for several variances including height, and parking stalls for vehicles and bicycles.
乌鸦传媒淲ith regard to the variances乌鸦传媒攋ust not in agreement with them,乌鸦传媒� the mayor said.
Councillors Maxine DeHart and Loyal Wooldridge also voted against the project, although Wooldridge said the re-submission had given him pause.
乌鸦传媒淚 am in support of density and housing throughout the city, what I乌鸦传媒檓 challenged with though is this being public land and increasing substantially in terms of height,乌鸦传媒� he added.
Only Councillors Rick Webber and Luke Stack voted in favour of granting development permits for the project.
乌鸦传媒淭he public amenity art walk is very attractive, and when it乌鸦传媒檚 designed in partnership with the city it will be a major improvement to our downtown,乌鸦传媒� Stack said. 乌鸦传媒淭he 259 residential housing units in the city core乌鸦传媒擨 mean乌鸦传媒攐ne of our goals has been to bring more and more people into the downtown and this will actually do that.乌鸦传媒�
The Kelowna Legacy Group (KLG), which Mayor Dyas was formally involved with, has been a vocal critic of the project. KLG argues that the development's scale is incompatible with the surrounding neighbourhood and questions the terms of the land lease, which the claim allows the developer to lease the city-owned property for approximately $2,300 per month over 88 years.
Following council's rejection, the future of the development is now uncertain.
