ELLA IN KELOWNA
Convenience, beautiful views
Views, connectivity and a sunny exposure.
These were some of the details that came together for Lorraine Haasbroek when she was considering a new condo development in Kelowna, B.C., underway by Mission Group.
Haasbroek, who lives in a large single-family home on an acreage near Edmonton, was looking to relocate for her retirement when she came across Ella, a 116-unit, 20-storey mixed-use tower in downtown Kelowna.
It’s the city’s first concrete highrise with LEED-certified design, meaning it is energy efficient and uses sustainable, livable design.
“I had been looking to retire somewhere warmer than here,” she says, citing the long, cold winters the Alberta capital area offers.
Kelowna and Victoria were the two cities she was most interested in, spending time in both places to consider what life would be like in both.
“I think I like the younger vibe that Kelowna has,” Haasbroek says. “I like Victoria, but I like the location of Ella. As a single woman, I’m a widow, I wouldn’t have to worry about walking anywhere. I could just go wherever I like. Also I will have a wonderful view. I got more value from my money in Kelowna than I would in Victoria.”
Ella — it’s a blended name, a pretty combination referencing Ellis and Laurence, the two cross streets next to the building site. Its name avoids the awkwardness of blended names that can end up being just combined sounds. Haasbroek bought a 1,377-square-foot E Unit. It has two bedrooms, a den and a private covered balcony of 223 square feet.
This unit is on the southwest corner, offering views of Okanagan Lake and the William R. Bennett Bridge across the lake. She says she likes the brightness and openness of this plan, being on a corner.
“And now you can see I’m coming from Edmonton, because I’m choosing southwest. If you’re from Kelowna, you take the northwest because you don’t want so much sun. But I’m originally from South Africa, so I’m not really too worried about the sun. I want more sun,” she says.
The layout appeals to her, and she feels it will offer a great transition from living in a single-family home.
“I like the layout because you don’t walk right into the kitchen, which at a lot of places you do. This has more of a feeling of a home. You walk in and you have a bit of things to go through before you get to the kitchen,” she says.
Ella is situated in the Bernard District, an area the City of Kelowna has invested $13 million in revitalization projects, including widening city sidewalks along Bernard Street so cafés and restaurants can spill out onto them and adding seating when the city did some major services work three years ago.
The Bernard District is filled with cafés, bars, restaurants, fitness centres, shopping, banks and services. And Ella is about four blocks from the waterfront at
Kelowna City Park and the marina.
“I like that it’s within walking distance to the lake,” Haasbroek says. With all that is so close to the building, Ella has a WalkScore of 97 out of 100.
There is a vibrancy starting to be felt downtown, says JoAnne Adamson, vice-president of marketing and sales for Mission Group.
“People see this as a place of energy and excitement. With that, coupled with young professionals wanting to be where the energy is and boomers wanting to downsize, there’s this trend to really want to be here,” she says.
While Ella is 70 per cent sold, there is still a wide selection of home types available, says Adamson. Studios start from the low $200,000s, two-bedrooms from the $500,000s and the luxury two-bedroom with den corner homes start from the low $800,000s.
Homes larger than studios come with one parking space.
The largest units have the option to buy a second parking space for $35,000.
All units come with bike parking, either in front of the vehicle stall with a secure rack, or in the common bike room.
Construction on the building is expected to begin in early 2018.
Because Ella is situated near a range of amenities in the community, Mission Group has been strategic in the amenities selected for this building.
“We do have some really cool amenities. We have a pet wash — it’s a room where you can take your dog and clean him all up. We also have a bike maintenance room and a bike wash room, because cycling is becoming more and more popular in Kelowna. We have a guest suite,” Adamson says.
The lobby is designed to be dynamic and multi- purpose, where residents can hold functions or hang out and meet friends.
“Our one splurge is to budget for an onsite community director, more of a 9 to 5 job. That person is there to make sure the building is well-maintained, take care of the residents’ needs — if there are courier packages while you’re at work, they can receive them for you. It also increases the safety of the building,” Adamson says.
Also keeping construction costs down is the plan for parking.
Instead of sinking a great deal of money into creating a watertight underground parkade in an area with a high watertable, Mission Group situated the four parkade levels in the podium between the ground floor with its retail spaces and the start of the residential floors on the sixth floor.
People see this as a place of energy and excitement. With that, coupled with young professionals wanting to be where the energy is and boomers wanting to downsize, there’s this trend to really want to be here. joanne Adamson, vice-president of marketing and sales, Mission Group