Concerns with public access to proposed NHL sized rink at Capri Centre

It’s a great concept, but will the public actually be welcome?

That was the consensus of Kelowna City Council on Monday in reaction to the proposed master development permit for the Capri Centre.

The elaborate plan proposed by ICR Projects includes an NHL sized skating rink, market square, community park and amphitheatre.

However, several councilors raised concerns as to whether the public would actually be allowed to access these extravagant amenities.

“A big part of the project is the attractiveness of the public amenities, my big concern is if there is a guarantee that the public amenities will actually be there. Central Green is an example of how plans can change," said Councilor Charlie Hodge.

Councillor Luke Stack commented that he was “seeing more of a fortress” in the development's new renderings and also expressed concern that he was “not comfortable it will actually be a public amenity”.

Leo Mariotta, the President of ICR Projects, was on hand to provide some clarity that while the rink is NHL sized, it is intended for casual skating use as opposed to hosting major hockey games.

Roadways were another point of contention among councilors as project renderings lacked clarity for where specifically traffic would flow through.

"Who owns the roads? Where exactly are they? In the renderings it wasn’t apparent if it was a road dedication or a road right away," said Councilor Ryan Donn on Tuesday.

Mariotta was unable to provide exact roadway plans, but did make it clear the development would feature extensive underground parking and minimal surface parking.

According to Councilor Donn, city council decided 6-3 to defer the project's master plan after a lengthy session of deliberation.

"We wanted more clarity and confirmation. There were questions about the phasing of the project, about how public the ice rink actually will be. There are concerns we might not get what is perceived as a very public amenity," explained Donn.

However, in an 8-1 vote, council did approve construction of a 22-storey tower on the corner of Sutherland Avenue and Capri Street.

If the project's complete master plan is approved, the tower would be the first of 14 residential buildings on the 20-acre site.