High-rise building boom in Kelowna’s north-end

After sitting idle for nearly a decade, construction resumed late last year at the former Lucaya condo tower on Sunset Drive in Kelowna’s north end.

It’s already half-way complete.

Kerkhoff Construction says it decided to resurrect the 21-storey project because the housing market timing is right. Now the place, named 1151 Sunset Drive, is nearly sold out.

“Probably 75 per cent are from Kelowna which is quite an interesting statistic and it’s people who live 15-20 kilometres from the site, people from the mountains moving down into the city – downsizing,” project manager Leonard Kerkhoff said.

The other buyers are mostly from Vancouver.

Prices range from under $400,000 for a one bedroom unit to millions of dollars.

“The penthouse is over $2.5 million and the sub-penthouses are over $1.5 million. We’re setting new benchmarks,” Kerkhoff said.

Neighbours are happy to finally see activity at the site and so are nearby businesses.

“I’m pretty happy about it. It was an eyesore for a long time,” restaurant owner Caesar Hernandez said.

And there are even bigger plans for the Sunset Drive area. Kerkhoff Construction hopes to build two more towers on vacant land across the street from Prospera Place including s 35 storey structure which would be the tallest tower in Kelowna.

“We built the first tower in Kelowna under my father in 1980, the white building on Leon Avenue. At the time, it was also the tallest tower so doing it again would be a great accomplishment,” Kerkhoff said.

The two additional towers still need Kelowna council’s blessing before the shovels hit the ground.