Decision day looms over Westcorp hotel, tower

‘Tallest building’ in Kelowna has long list of supporters

Proponents of what would be Kelowna’s tallest building have gathered dozens of letters of support for their project.

Westcorp’s plans for a 430-foot tower at the base of Queensway is on the agenda for tonight’s city council meeting.

Municipal planners will recommend council not approve the 33storey project, which includes convention centre, saying it would “overwhelm” the area.

However, the developers have been busy getting individually written letters of support for the project, which will entered into the public record at tonight’s meeting.

“We have 114 pieces of correspondence for this item, 108 of which are in support,” city clerk Stephen Fleming wrote Monday in an email.

Those supporting the project variously describe it as appealing in design, located at the right spot, likely to create considerable economic spinoffs and enhance the status of downtown.

“It is at the heart of Kelowna and has to be first class,” Rudy Schoenfeld writes in a typical letter of support. “We are no longer the sleepy little community that people came to visit in the summer.”

“Having operated a business in downtown for the last 25 years, I have witnessed first-hand the slow degradation in spirit of the recent facelift of Bernard Avenue,” Wade Jenson writes in another letter of support.

“I believe this hotel will bring downtown Kelowna into the 21st century.”

Letters of support have been written by Barry Lapointe, CEO of KF Aerospace, marketing consultant David MacLean, winemaker Ingo Grady, KGH Dr. Shawn Spelliscy, Stan Walt of Chances Entertainment, restaurateur Rod Butters, architect Jim Meiklejohn, Kelowna Rockets owner Bruce Hamilton, Innovation Centre partner Jason Richards, former Eldorado Hotel owner Jim Nixon and former Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray.

But project opponent Paul Mick writes: “Such a massive tower will be completely out of place in that part of downtown and will hideously overshadow our lovely waterfront.”

And Walley Lightbody, another critic, writes: “Sure, the Edmonton developer Westcorp wants a 33storey structure so he can make a much larger profit, but those funds will do diddly squat for our wonderful Kelowna.”

Plans show Westcorp’s tower including 179 hotel suites, 49 luxury homes, and a public restaurant on the 16th floor.

A 24-storey all-hotel tower was approved for the site by city council in 2014. Westcorp says the plans have been revised, in part, because of the increased demand for downtown living.

If approved, Westcorp’s tower would be equivalent in height to Vancouver’s 17th tallest building. If built in Calgary, it would be the 28th tallest building in that city.