Towers planned next to mall

[KelownaCrackinCrew]

Bring on the towers, let`s grow this Kelowna to be something magnificent.

[normaM]

well it is a large apt, over 2000 sq feet. Not my cuppa but I guess you have that money to spend on an apt you don't sweat the condo fees.

[Gilchy]

$600 per month for one of the larger units in a building that has multiple elevators, parking, pool and facilities is fairly normal.

[WalterWhite]

it says they are $597 a mth..what an insane price for a condo in such a small city like ours...

Not out of line at all. Strata costs are a per square foot calculation. Here’s an example of average strata fees from greater Vancouver - from 2013:

http://www.rew.ca/news/condo-maintenanc ... -1.2095996

- and these from Toronto with 2014 comparable costs:

https://www.ratehub.ca/condo-fees

Given these outdated examples, the fees for a unit of that size are actually quite reasonable.

[Urban Cowboy]

I agree this is a good spot for apartment towers. As far as the view goes I'm not sure how high you have to be, but there are some mls photos from a listing on the 14th floor of the building next door and while you can technically see the lake from there, it's not exactly a mind-blowing lake view. https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Sing ... fieldSpall

I think the dirt pimps call that a peek a boo view.

Yes and once the new towers are built, it will be a lot less peek and a lot more boo.

[vinnied]

Yes and once the new towers are built, it will be a lot less peek and a lot more boo.

And the million dollar price tag will probably drop once they break ground next door. Personally Id rather own a decent house for that price tag

[Grandan]

I agree this is a good spot for apartment towers. As far as the view goes I'm not sure how high you have to be, but there are some mls photos from a listing on the 14th floor of the building next door and while you can technically see the lake from there, it's not exactly a mind-blowing lake view. https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Sing ... fieldSpall

I think the dirt pimps call that a peek a boo view.

Yes and once the new towers are built, it will be a lot less peek and a lot more boo.

If they build the towers close to the Baron Rd - Dilworth intersection as they should be, the loss of view will be minimal.
If built closer to the Farmers Market then there could be a jolly good scrap over loss of view.

[LolaB]

... mini Vancouver with no roads to go in or out of downtown safely... overpopulation of downtown is happening with no clear future of parking or road widening. Have "you" (citizens of Kelowna) been in the downtown on Friday or Saturday nights when the nightlife is happening? ... Rockets games, RCA & Gallery events, restaurants, dances, casino etcetera and you realize you can't find a parking spot anywhere near downtown. Our future will bring so much "fun" to downtown especially in tourist season. Does this city care?

[LTD]

... mini Vancouver with no roads to go in or out of downtown safely... overpopulation of downtown is happening with no clear future of parking or road widening. Have "you" (citizens of Kelowna) been in the downtown on Friday or Saturday nights when the nightlife is happening? ... Rockets games, RCA & Gallery events, restaurants, dances, casino etcetera and you realize you can't find a parking spot anywhere near downtown. Our future will bring so much "fun" to downtown especially in tourist season. Does this city care?

don't know don't care don't go down there

[WalterWhite]

Yes and once the new towers are built, it will be a lot less peek and a lot more boo.

And the million dollar price tag will probably drop once they break ground next door. Personally Id rather own a decent house for that price tag

Fair enough, but that’s your personal preference. Others prefer not having to worry about maintenance costs, snow removal or yard care to name a few. Walking out the door and having to do nothing more than lock the door has it’s benefits too. Take a look at that price tag a few years from now. It may go up and it may go down - just like a decent house will also.

[WalterWhite]

I agree this is a good spot for apartment towers. As far as the view goes I'm not sure how high you have to be, but there are some mls photos from a listing on the 14th floor of the building next door and while you can technically see the lake from there, it's not exactly a mind-blowing lake view. https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Sing ... fieldSpall

I would have to disagree. That’s pretty much a valley-wide view ranging from what looks like East Kelowna all the way Blue Grouse/Dilworth Mountain and all the way down the lake to Peachland. It’s not lake front, but it’s certainly lake view.

[kgcayenne]

... mini Vancouver with no roads to go in or out of downtown safely... overpopulation of downtown is happening with no clear future of parking or road widening. Have "you" (citizens of Kelowna) been in the downtown on Friday or Saturday nights when the nightlife is happening? ... Rockets games, RCA & Gallery events, restaurants, dances, casino etcetera and you realize you can't find a parking spot anywhere near downtown. Our future will bring so much "fun" to downtown especially in tourist season. Does this city care?

I’m sorry that you are disabled and cannot use active or or even public transit.

[Catri]

I agree that it's a spectacular valley view Walter, but it's too far back for the lake to be the central feature. I would go so far as to say that if you didn't know where to look in some of those photos, you could miss the lake.

LolaB, you know the development we're talking about here isn't downtown, right?

[Urban Cowboy]

Yes and once the new towers are built, it will be a lot less peek and a lot more boo.

And the million dollar price tag will probably drop once they break ground next door. Personally Id rather own a decent house for that price tag

Fair enough, but that’s your personal preference. Others prefer not having to worry about maintenance costs, snow removal or yard care to name a few. Walking out the door and having to do nothing more than lock the door has it’s benefits too. Take a look at that price tag a few years from now. It may go up and it may go down - just like a decent house will also.

I'm sorry but we must have wildly different views of what maintenance costs are.

I think six hundred bucks a month is plenty of maintenance cost, and you are still responsible for the stuff within your unit.

Most can have a gardening/snow removal service for a heck of a lot less than $600 a month.

Oh and let's not forget those nice letters that come from the strata council informing you of how many thousands over and above what you already pay, you need to come up with suddenly, because they decided to renovate the lobby or some such.

My mother used to live in a condo so I know all about how that works.

[WalterWhite]

Yes and once the new towers are built, it will be a lot less peek and a lot more boo.

And the million dollar price tag will probably drop once they break ground next door. Personally Id rather own a decent house for that price tag

Fair enough, but that’s your personal preference. Others prefer not having to worry about maintenance costs, snow removal or yard care to name a few. Walking out the door and having to do nothing more than lock the door has it’s benefits too. Take a look at that price tag a few years from now. It may go up and it may go down - just like a decent house will also.

I'm sorry but we must have wildly different views of what maintenance costs are.

I think six hundred bucks a month is plenty of maintenance cost, and you are still responsible for the stuff within your unit.

Most can have a gardening/snow removal service for a heck of a lot less than $600 a month.

Oh and let's not forget those nice letters that come from the strata council informing you of how many thousands over and above what you already pay, you need to come up with suddenly, because they decided to renovate the lobby or some such.

My mother used to live in a condo so I know all about how that works.

Like I said - to each their own. It's not your cup of tea, and that's fine. Other people wouldn't want to live any other way - doesn't make either better or worse, right or wrong. Btw, I happen to live in a strata, and yes, costs are for much more than the couple of examples I mentioned - and you should know that too, since you " know all about how that works".