Resort living every day, the Okanagan way
Special To Okanagan Weekend
We’re sure you’ve heard about the exciting new ONE Water Street development on the edge of downtown Kelowna and what it’s going to do for the neighbourhood just north of Prospera Place.
The views of Okanagan Lake and Knox Mountain will be unparalleled from every suite in its 36- and 29- storey towers, and the upward sweep design of the building itself injects a feeling of exhilaration and energy.
But there’s much more involved than just what the eye can see.
How you live is at the very core of what ONE Water Street’s about. It won’t be like living in just another apartment building, it will be actual resort-style living.
Normally, you only get to live this well on vacation, and at ONE Water Street you get to do it in a part of the country that is the envy of many Canadians and others, who come here year-round for our summer and winter activities, and for our great wines.
Given this setting, and with a chance to make its mark on how homes in Kelowna should be designed in future, the developers of ONE Water Street felt it only right that this building set the standard for what Okanagan Urban Living should be.
With wine country visible in the distance from the oversize balconies, the huge amenities area planned for ONE Water Street has been aptly named with a nod to the row-upon-row of vineyards on the surrounding hills. We call it The Bench. In most multiple-tower projects, the individual structures may well be physically connected in some way, but to the passerby on the street, they seem independent — almost isolated — from each other.
When it came to designing how people should live at One Water Street, developers North American Development Group and Kerkhoff Construction worked with the architect Kasian Architecture and van der Zalm + Associates landscape architects to come up with something that “connects” everything, while also turning leisure time into a daily vacation.
The result: the two concrete and glass towers at ONE Water Street will sit on a three-storey “podium” that will connect the towers at the base. Around the perimeter of the podium will be commercial space including stores, businesses and restaurants.
But it’s the fourth level atop this podium that’s the home run. This level, called The Bench, is an elevated 1.3 acre landscaped area, with more than 58,000 square feet of outdoor social and recreational amenities for the exclusive use of ONE Water Street residents. You’ll think resort when you see it. The Bench includes an outdoor patio with tables and couches for dining and entertainment, two (yes, two) swimming pools, a generously-sized hot tub, a pickleball court, a large private health club featuring a fully-equipped gym and yoga studio, a dog park, barbecues and fire pits.
Landscaping is lush throughout and created to pair with the Okanagan climate. You’ll enjoy the great outdoors with an “out of the city” feel, while actually being four storeys up. The benefits of building higher You may wonder how creating The Bench might impact the cost of the homes to be sold at ONE Water Street. You’ll be surprised to learn that in fact, the costs are similar to other condominium buildings.
“That’s the beauty of economies of scale,” says Leonard Kerkhoff, vice-president of construction of Kerkhoff Construction.
“The design we chose, and approved by the City of Kelowna, allows us to build higher and include more units. The cost of The Bench becomes a far less significant factor when shared across a greater number of homes.
Our strata fees will start from $179 and go up from there depending on the home size, calculated at $0.38 per square foot per month. That puts us in the same range as most other developments.” And there’s even more out the door When you do step outside, you’ll find a pedestrian-friendly community, some of Kelowna’s top restaurants and Prospera Place right across the street, as well as recreation, entertainment, Okanagan Lake, shopping and numerous other amenities and services an easy walk or bike away from downtown Kelowna.
“With the lifestyle amenities on The Bench, and proximity to the lake and everything downtown, this is going to be hard to beat luxury high-rise living anywhere,” says North American Development Group Managing Partner, Henry Bereznicki.
“This will be the signature housing development in the city centre. ONE Water Street and its resort-like appeal will become the epicenter of a whole new, desirable, and much sought-after neighbourhood.”