GROWTH & PROSPERITY

Over the past 24 years, there have been nine major events that got the ball rolling for additional growth in Kelowna that changed the community forever.

• Gallagher's Canyon surrounds its championship golf course with housing developments in 1980, launching the golf community concept
• In 1988, the population of the Central Okanagan breaks 100,000
• The Okanagan Connector to the Coquihalla Highway opens in 1990, shortening the trip to and from the Lower Mainland
• The Grand Hotel opens on the downtown waterfront in 1992 marking the city's big-time entry into international tourism
• The Fall Okanagan Wine Festival is listed by the American Bus Association as one of the top 100 events in North Amercia in 1996, further entrenching the Valley as a wine tourism hotspot
• In 1998, the average household income in Kelowna hits $50,000
• Kelowna Airport attains International status with regular non-stop Seattle - Kelowna service in 1998 with Horizon Air
• Mission Hill Winery in Westbank completes its $30-million expansion in 2002 securing the Valley as a true international caliber wine player
• In 2004, the University of British Columbia announces it will move into the North Kelowna Campus of Okanagan University College to make it a research - oriented full - status prestigious university

More recently, Discovery Bay is constructing a 21 storey residential tower that will be the tallest in Kelowna. Before construction began in the summer of 2003, all 131 units of the tower were pre-sold ranging from $150,000 to $1.5 million.

Landmark Centre is comprised of 4 towers totaling over 380,000 square feet. The first 7 storey tower opened in 1994 and the fourth tower, Tech Centre II opened in June 2004 and is approximately 50% leased. The buildings have fibreoptics bandwidth telecommunications capacity which both Shaw Big Pipe and Telus have put into the towers, two power stations and diesel back up generators. There is a gymnasium in the basement, an oversized shipping and receiving area, on site oversized storage lockers and ample parking.

There are four more development plots in the Landmark area. A small parcel at the corner of Highway 97 and Sutherland will likely be a two storey building with a restaurant on the ground floor. Another tech building will get underway soon and the last two pieces will be either tech towers or general office highrises.

Plans have been unveiled for the former People's IGA site at the corner of Bernard Avenue and Gordon Drive. The developer plans a highrise complex combining residential, retail and office space and a spa.

Icon at Brandt's Creek Crossing is pre-selling 89 condo type apartments in a 20 story residential building. Design consists of a 2 metre high waterfall, faced in basalt rock, at the end of a placid reflecting pool. The natural landscaping highlights the clean lines and the urban sophistication of this 20 story tower, designed in concrete, glass and steel.

Another highrise project just announced by Westcorp Inc. of Edmonton has plans to construct a 4 tower high-rise development on the Willow Inn Hotel site and the city owned lands along the lakefront. The site totals four acres. Although approvals have not yet been given by the City of Kelowna, if the necessary approvals are given, the $250 million Pandosy's Landing project would be built in four phases, with construction of the first building, a 20-storey residential tower, beginning in January 2006.

The 35 acre retail project at the former Central Park Golf Course, Central Park Power Centre has started work on Phase II. Phase I is 100% leased out and tenants in Phase II will consist of Wal-Mart, Winner's HomeSense, Bowrings, Canadiana Gifts and two new restaurants, East Side Mario's and Cactus Club.

Prospera Place is the 6,500 seat multi-purpose facility that's home to the WHL Kelowna Rockets Hockey Club and major concerts including Elton John, Rod Stewart, Nickleback, Bryan Adams and more.

Airport job creation has been responsible for almost 2,000 jobs and nearly quarter billion dollars a year in economic activity. The Kelowna International Airport is the 11th busiest airport in Canada in terms of passenger volume - 863,645 passengers traveled through the airport in 2003. Passenger activity has more than doubled since 1995 and is predicted to reach one million by 2011.

On October 28, 2003, the Transportation Minister for the Province announced a new $100 M, five lane bridge with construction set to begin next fall and completion expected by spring 2008 which will include building interchanges on the Westside.