Over the next couple of months, Council will be considering approval of the Wharton Street Redevelopment Plan. The project encompasses a redevelopment of District land along Wharton Street and Kelly Avenue and an integration of District and private lands along Brown Street and Prairie Valley Road.  The District selected New Future Building Group (Kamloops) several months ago as the developer of the project and have been working to prepare a purchase and sale agreement for the District lands.  The District and the developer have reached an agreement in principle and will be publicly advertising the details of the proposed purchase and sale agreement in January 2008, prior to formal approval of the agreement by Municipal Council.  Keep checking out our website and local newspaper for details of the agreement as they are released.  It is anticipated that the sale of the municipally-owned lands will raise millions of dollars for the District. 

Final Purchase Agreement and Option to Purchase

 

The overall concept for the redevelopment of District lands is to allow for residential growth in the downtown area and to generate revenues from the land sale to pay for public amenities within the project area.  It is hoped that this development will enhance the downtown area, making it a ‘people place’ that will stimulate further redevelopment of the downtown. This project will create a dynamic neighbourhood in the downtown that will support approximately 500 residents.  The plan is a mixed-use development of residential, retail, commercial and cultural amenities over underground parking.  The project is expected to get underway in 2008, will be completed in phases, and is anticipated to be completed in 2015.

In the first three phases, the project will provide the cultural amenities of a new library, museum and cultural centre. The new library will be built as part of phase one and will be owned by the Okanagan Regional Library Board. The new library will be twice as large as the existing one, with provision for additional space to meet long term expansion needs.  Arrangements are also being made to house those groups that traditionally use the space in the existing library for their activities within the new complex.  The museum will be built as part of the second phase and will be purchased by the District “at cost” from the developer.  The size of the new museum will be approximately 8,000 square feet.  Over the next two years, the District will be working with the community to refine the plans for a Cultural Centre.  The District has the opportunity to acquire up to 20,000 square feet of building for the Cultural Center from the developer “at cost”.

The proposed site plan and pictures for phase one of the project are on the website and on display at the Municipal Hall and Public Library.  As the property will need an Official Community Plan amendment and rezoning to allow the development to proceed, a public hearing on the proposed OCP/zoning changes will be scheduled, likely in February. Stay tuned for further announcements on the date of this hearing in our local newspaper, on our website, and at the Municipal Hall.