Clearing the way for UBCO tower
Former Daily Courier building torn down
With a thundering crash and a monstrous dust cloud, three excavators began demolition of the former headquarters of The Kelowna Daily Courier newspaper building at 550 Doyle Ave. on Friday.
UBCO Properties Trust is now completing the design for the controversial UBCO Downtown Campus.
In an onsite interview, Troy Grover, owner of T-Rex Excavating and Demolition of West Kelowna, said subcontractor Crown Abatement had actually started interior work seven weeks ago, removing anything not wanted in the demolition waste.
“Because we’re LEED-certified, environmentally, we have to try to salvage as much as we can and make sure everything goes in the right spot,” he said.
He expected the north building or warehouse to be demolished on Friday and the south building or front office to be demolished on Sunday since “we have to be done by Sept. 9. The UBCO faculty want to have an official ground-breaking ceremony on Sept. 9.”
Ledcor Group was hired by UBCO Properties Trust as the general contractor with T-Rex as a subcontractor.
On July 26, Kelowna city council approved what was then proposed as a 46-storey tower which would make it the tallest building in the city at 160 metres. Several councillors hoped the tower wouldn’t be that tall but no promises were made.
The proposed skyscraper would only occupy the southern portion. Mission Group is working with the city planning department on proposals for a 30-storey residential tower and a 16-storey office tower to the north.
“Our best estimates at the moment are for early site-preparation work to begin in the fall of 2022 with construction to start in the first quarter of 2023. We’re hoping for occupancy in 2026. That said, these are only estimates and subject to development permit approvals from the City of Kelowna and building plans meeting expectations,” Nathan Skolski, associate director of public affairs/university relations at UBCO, told The Daily Courier later that week.
“With the important zoning approval granted by the City of Kelowna on Tuesday, UBC Properties Trust and UBC will now be able to proceed with further development of the project,” he said.
“This will include several steps to ensure that the academic program and needs of the future residents will be met as well as some further analysis. These processes will be continued into the fall, and will consider some of the comments and feedback received from the mayor and council to help ensure that the benefits of this project are realized in the most positive way possible for the university and the community.”
The approval was years in the making with numerous councillors noting they have promoted a downtown campus for a long time.
Eight academic floors would accommodate more than 200 nursing students, 80 social work students and 20-30 fine arts students in an art gallery. Adding faculty, teaching assistants, student services, medical centre staff, security and cafe employees would result in about 600 people in the building.
Upper floors would have 500 student housing units: mostly studios, but also two-bedroom units, for a total of 603 bedrooms. UBCO’s main campus near Kelowna airport had a university housing waitlist of 800 students so added 440 beds. Then, the waitlist grew to 1,300 wanting on-campus housing, Lesley Cormack, UBCO principal and deputy vice-chancellor, told council.
With no provincial/federal funding, the intent is to “monetize” the housing rentals to pay for it through UBC Properties Trust, the applicant and developer. That is similar to student housing financing at the Point Grey campus, said Aubrey Kelly, trust CEO and president.
A 90-minute public-input session, both inperson and online, had 25 people expressing concern – mainly about the height – but also about council not following the OCP, creating urban heat islands and highrise wind tunnels, fire protection, increased traffic, traffic gridlock, security, downtown crime and the negative impact of construction on nearby older buildings.
Students were among those supporting the proposal but there were also those accusing senior city management of having a secret “slush fund” and “a track record of hiding information,” concern about student rental rates and objecting to the loss of backyards downtown due to multi-family construction.
At the conclusion of discussion and a 35-minute council debate spread over more than three hours, councillors voted 7-1 in favour of the project with only Coun. Charlie Hodge opposed due to its height and traffic concerns.
As Mayor Colin Basran began speaking before the vote, a man in the public gallery started shouting. Basran responded, repeatedly: “Sir, you’ve had your opportunity.” Then: “It’s our turn to speak now. I’m going to ask you to please leave now. Please leave. Thank you. I appreciate your feedback.” And then to council: “That’s a first.”
Echoing other councillor comments, Basran agreed council had tried to bring UBCO downtown for years and years.
“This is a dream for most municipalities to have this opportunity,” he said.
“The fact that we’re going to have welleducated faculty and students with incredible synergy, with that tech community, the Innovation Centre, with Interior Health across the street, supporting downtown businesses, supporting our local arts and culture. This is all part and parcel of building a progressive community which includes a great downtown core. (And) we have the third fastest growing downtown in the country only behind only Montreal and Halifax.”