Downtown mall getting facelift
Kelowna’s only downtown shopping centre, the 37-year-old Towne Centre, will get a fresh new look.
Facade improvements that include a new wood canopy, brick cladding, backlit signs, and poles that mimic the old Paramount movie marquee further west on Bernard Avenue are planned for Towne Centre.
A new paint scheme to match the decor of municipallyowned pedestrian-oriented features on Bernard Avenue is also planned. City council will be asked today to issue a permit for the enhancements.
“The applicant’s objective of the renovation is to ensure that the character of the building is attractive to residents and visitors in order to create a draw on the east side of downtown,” reads part of a staff report to council.
“The interior public space of the mall will be updated significantly to provide a brighter and more inviting experience,” the report states. “Overall, the project will improve the quality of development within the downtown.”
Artist renderings of the the improvements suggest the mall may be re-named The District, but there is no reference to this in the staff report. The report’s authors mis-spell the mall as Town Centre. Built in 1981, the mall has almost 50,000 square feet of leasable retail and office space on two floors.
The mall was sold to new owners early last year.