Lakeshore Road by the Okanagan Lake in Kelowna is going to look very, very different in a few years as a result of a massive development project undertaken by Westcorp.
The development project, which Westcorp calls Ledge on Lakeshore, will consist of 1,000 residential units -- all rental -- across multiple residential buildings and townhouses, spread from 3773 Lakeshore Road to 3795 Lakeshore Road.
The Westcorp Lakeshore project will include one-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom townhouses, which the City of Kelowna said would "serve a diverse demographic as the City’s population grows."
And Kelowna's population is indeed growing. In 2021, Statistics Canada published census data that showed Kelowna was the fastest-growing Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Canada, with a growth of 14% from a 2016 population of 194,892 to a 2021 population of 222,162.
Westcorp Kelowna Lakeshore
City council approved Phase 1 in 2020, which consists of 200 townhouse units that are currently under construction and expected to complete later this year or in early 2023.
Phase 2, which was just approved in a council meeting on September 26, will include one 17-storey building, two 10-storey buildings, and more townhouses, for a total of 439 residential units, all of which will be for rental. Additionally, there will also be an amenity centre and a parkade.
Phase 1 = DP1 / Phase 2 = Dark gray highlighted buildings / Phase 3 = DP3. (Westcorp)
Left: 10-storey Tower 6. / Right: 10-storey Tower 7. (Westcorp)
10-storey Tower 6. (Westcorp)
Documents detailing the council meeting also show that Phase 2 will include "a new commercial node along Lakeshore Road, improved accessibility to Wilson Creek Linear Park, and substantial urban plazas and landscaping."
In terms of the architecture, the City of Kelowna said the project is designed with the intention of prioritizing "a simple and timeless expression, where form and proportion are highly considered, and realized through a muted and natural material palette."
The buildings have been placed in areas that would "preserve view corridors through the site and offer residents views of the surrounding valley and lake." Density for the entire development will also be concentrated at the center of the site, "focused inward onto a large, common rooftop amenity greenspace and landscaped garden and pool area."
Common rooftop space. (Westcorp)
17-storey Tower 3. (Westcorp)
17-storey Tower 3, Reverse / Amenity Centre. (Westcorp)
Phase 2 townhouses. (Westcorp)
A Phase 3 has not been officially announced or confirmed, but City staff noted that they are expecting Westcorp to file a third development application for the final phase before Phase 2 completes, which will include "a future day-care building and additional mid-rise and high-rise residential buildings" That would bring the total for the Lakeshore Road project to five residential buildings, not including other amenity buildings.
Further north along the Okanagan Lake, Westcorp is also developing a new 33-storey hotel, which also received approval from council in September (a third time), which means that in a few years, the skyline near the Okanagan Lake is set for a transformation.
