Capri Master Plan

[Verum]

I would welcome redevelopment there, not least because it's not exactly the most attractive spot in Kelowna to start with, but honestly, the proposal is boring. The greenery would be nice, except much of it seems to be inaccessible to the public. The buildings seem to be little more than the ubiquitous glass covered towers that all boring cities seem to have in abundance. They're not even trying. Is it too much to ask for something interesting if not beautiful?

I guess they'll keep the Landmark buildings company.

[Fancy]

The greenery would be nice, except much of it seems to be inaccessible to the public.

There's more than a few pedestrian access points.

[Jflem1983]

Looks pretty big city to me. ... can see myself following qk to Cherryville

[lightspeed]

Five towers right next to each other looks very cluttered

It looks like Burnaby or Surrey.

Horrible. A blight on the landscape.

[lightspeed]

Horrified.

But what does an old Kelownian know, having been born and raised here, knowing what we've lost as opposed to supposedly gained?

Cue the out of towners who've moved here to tell me to stuff it. Yes, Kelowna's changed, and it will keep evolving as all major cities have. But that doesn't mean every damn change has to be cheerlead from those who has seen ever green space and open area paved over. What is in your knowledge of Kelowna is not even a shadow of what I and many hold dear in our memories.

RIP Kelowna, it was nice to know you when you were beautiful.

Agreed.

[Even Steven]

It looks like Burnaby or Surrey.

Horrible. A blight on the landscape.

What's wrong with Burnaby or Surrey?

[LANDM]

Horrified.

But what does an old Kelownian know, having been born and raised here, knowing what we've lost as opposed to supposedly gained?

Cue the out of towners who've moved here to tell me to stuff it. Yes, Kelowna's changed, and it will keep evolving as all major cities have. But that doesn't mean every damn change has to be cheerlead from those who has seen ever green space and open area paved over. What is in your knowledge of Kelowna is not even a shadow of what I and many hold dear in our memories.

RIP Kelowna, it was nice to know you when you were beautiful.

Hmmmm......I don’t mind it. I think Capri is very dead, worn out, run down and in need of replacement so this looks pretty good.

It was paved over many decades ago, when it was commented (just as people made the comment about Orchard Park years after) that nobody would want to go waaaaayyyy out there. So, we aren’t paving over green space. There is virtually none there.

I’m not telling you to stuff it because it is simply opinion. Yeah, the actual drive-in Dubs was pretty cool when it was there, but those don’t exist anywhere that I am aware of. It’s just a decrepit old mall. Rejuvenating would be positive in my opinion, since it is not realistic to go back to what it was.

Speaking of......trivia alert....what was it before? And, why was it named Capri?
And yes, I know the answers.

Winners get a shiny imaginary nickel.

[maple leaf]

I don't like the five highrises all the same side by side.Mix it up some with making each one unique and different heights.

[gman313]

Horrified.

But what does an old Kelownian know, having been born and raised here, knowing what we've lost as opposed to supposedly gained?

Cue the out of towners who've moved here to tell me to stuff it. Yes, Kelowna's changed, and it will keep evolving as all major cities have. But that doesn't mean every damn change has to be cheerlead from those who has seen ever green space and open area paved over. What is in your knowledge of Kelowna is not even a shadow of what I and many hold dear in our memories.

RIP Kelowna, it was nice to know you when you were beautiful.

we have gained way more than we have lost. stand in the way of progress ya might get run over. Out with the old, in with the new!

[OhMyDarlin]

Speaking of......trivia alert....what was it before? And, why was it named Capri?
:

I don't remember what it was before (drive in theatre?), but it's called Capri because it was built by the Capozzi family. Mom bought groceries at Shop Easy.

[WalterWhite]

As usual - damned if you do, damned if you don't. Developers have been maligned for years accounting for the sprawl up into the hills and arable land, with constant calls for densifying(sp?) Projects like One Water St., Ella and Sopa among a number of others are doing just that, and quite nicely imo, but ironically results in the typical "they've blotted out the sun; it blocks the mountains; it blocks the view of the lake". Horse-puckies. The Kelowna many of us grew up with is not surprisingly gone. For years the local Chamber of Commerce and tourism groups have pandered the globe with what this area has to offer. Eventually, people took notice and 30-40 years later, we are where we are today. ♫ ♪"They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot"♪ ♫ - that they did Joni Mitchell, that they did.

Capri area has long been designated an urban town center, so development here is no surprise. This latest proposal is great, with many of the typical issues with proposals like this seemingly being addressed. There is no way to go back in time to what Kelowna used to be, as stated - it's gone. I'll remember it fondly, and can only hope those in place making the decisions affecting current and future growth have their heads screwed on straight (or get the one they currently possess fixed) and plan for development that has the best interests of residents and the area in general at the forefront of their planning decisions. Based on their track record however, I won't hold my breath on it.

[Queen K]

Looks pretty big city to me. ... can see myself following qk to Cherryville

Is there room in Cherryville for a liberal and a conservative?

But seriously, I know the old Kelowna is gone after having witnessed its demise at the hands of the successive city councils being every developers wet dream. As I drove by Capri today and looked at what people were complaining about, I saw wide open spaces, businesses that are thriving, the mountains and the rising sun lighting up the clouds. I saw trees and lots of parking for customers and business employees alike. What exactly is the issue?

There is none.

What I'd like to see is the towers reduced to three and a dedicated park for the public. Not just shrubs and trees interspersed throughout with surprise, very little parking.

[Scrobins94]

I do agree with the cat lady. One or two fewer towers means some light will be able to shine through at different times of the day.

Last thing we want for the sunny Okanagan is to be living under the shadows of high rises.

[Even Steven]

Mix it up some with making each one unique and different heights.

I don't understand why people always expect the buildings to be marvels of modern archetectur and things of beauty.

Why?

It doesn't have to be. Sure we don't want our city to look like North Korea but these are just fine, looks good enough though typical. To make them unique and extra beautiful would mean hiring a specialty archetecture company, making structures more complex and thus raising the prices of EVERY SINGLE UNIT within the tower - and then people start complaining how they're not affordable.

[Catri]

Those 5 towers on the Capri and Sutherland sides show so clearly in the rendering, it's almost not noticeable that there are 4 more blocks of 18+ stories along Gordon Drive. That's a lot of housing. I wonder what the timeline is on this whole development? I also wonder what it will actually look like when/if it's finished.