They say first impressions are everything — and the entrance to the City of Penticton from the north is less than welcoming.
Old buildings, sprawling concrete and a lack of sidewalks and bike lanes make it a less desirable place to live, work and visit.
“This area is extremely vehicle oriented, and, there’s a lack of walkable infrastructure, cycling infrastructure, green spaces are somewhat deficient in the area, and those are some of the key components that we are going to be looking at through this North Gateway planning process,” said Anthony Haddad, general manager of community services.
A recent real estate analysis commissioned by the city found there is much work to do.
“In its current state, numerous challenges prevent the North Gateway from becoming a destination hub for the City of Penticton. These challenges include an incomplete and inconsistent streetscape, inactive street frontages, a lack of commercial opportunities, and a built environment that is not conducive to active transportation,” said the report, penned by Colliers Strategy & Consulting Group.
The city hopes to change that with a bold 20-30 year plan to revitalize the North Gateway, attracting higher-end hotels and retail businesses while improving walkability so residents and visitors can roam around on foot.
“We want to green it, make it green and healthy and walkable,” said Michael von Hausen, president of MVH Urban Planning and Design.
“This is a 15-minute community. In other words, you can walk from the east side to the west side in 15 minutes.”
The Colliers report found that demand for hotel rooms will increase from 348,000 in 2019 to 472,000 by 2030, driven by tourism and PTCC delegates.
It said the city must ensure conventions and conferences are choosing Penticton over other cities with better hotel room offerings.
“One of the deficiencies in our convention business in the community is the lack of hotels, and in particular, the lack of an attached hotel to our trade and convention centre, and council identified that as a big issue when they got elected,” Haddad said.
A new 105-room Four Points by Sheraton hotel will soon be under construction adjacent to the PTCC, which will help attract those larger conferences, Haddad said.
Colliers believes that Penticton could potentially support an additional 50 to 120 hotel rooms over the next 10 years on top of upcoming supply, without significantly impacting the performance of existing operators.
The report also noted that 385 homes are located in the North Gateway area, representing just two per cent of the city’s total housing stock.
More than half of the homes were built prior to 1980 and the consultants said higher density could revitalize the area.
“The demand for residential within our community is significantly high. We have low vacancy rates, and we’re seeing a significant development interest from local developers and coming in providing more variety of housing options,” Haddad said.
The consultant’s report also said that the North Gateway is outdated and low density contributes to the lack of identity and an unappealing overall experience.
“In order to achieve the highest and best use of land in the North Gateway, while also accommodating more residents, visitors and businesses to the area, the City of Penticton will need to undergo changes to current zoning regulations in strategic areas,” Colliers said.
City planners and urban designers met with landowners, residents and businesses this week to craft a plan which will be presented to city council this fall.
More information can be found on the City of Penticton’s website.