New Development Expected to Liven-Up KGH Neighbourhood

Working as a transitional piece between the historic Pandosy community and the medical service area, a new mixed service building has garnered the support of Kelowna City Council on Monday.

Incorporating a more historic feel, a collaborative style building was given the development green light and will incorporate a medical clinic, an apartment complex, and a café.

Located at 320 Strathcona Avenue, architecture Jim Meiklejohn said the new building will benefit the community and provide residents a cheerful place to grab a cup of coffee near Kelowna General Hospital.

Photo credit: Kelowna Council agenda.

“There’s nowhere to go if you’re visiting family or you’re dealing with stressful situations and you want to grab a coffee,” said Meiklejohn. “I think this will be a huge benefit to the community, that close to the park, and I’m quite convinced the neighbourhood will embrace it and it fold really well.”

There was some initial resistance to the development project, but after redesigning the building to incorporate residential feedback, the mixed use service building will incorporate convenience with aesthetics.

“We’re trying to create something that knits this transitional zone from family homes to the hospital,” added Meiklejohn.

Photo credit: Kelowna Council agenda.

Although the project was supported by Council, the decision was not unanimous.

Councillor Charlie Hodge does not feel as though the building’s design resonates with the environment of the neighbourhood and opposed the construction of the mixed use building in the medical service area.

“It’s a beautiful building, I like it, but I don’t think it’s in the right spot and I don’t believe it’s keeping with the character or the form of the area,” said Hodge.

Some other Council members voiced their reluctance to supporting the building, but at the end of the day, the majority of Council was happy to support the project and see further development in the area.

“I think this is a great transition from KGH to the residential neighbourhood. I don’t like to deal with the hypothetical, but had Interior Health purchased these houses, what we’d probably be looking is a boxy institution or a parkade. Instead, we’re going to have a great looking building. Is it perfect? No, absolutely not, but is it a great transition from the hospital campus to a neighbourhood that people are really passionate about? Absolutely,” said Mayor Colin Basran.

Project development is still a few months away, but will begin sometime in 2015. According to Meiklejohn, the development will hopefully be done by summer or fall of 2016.