Okanagan College in Kelowna, B.C. broke ground on a new student-housing development Monday afternoon, valued at $36.4 million. The project will be the institutions first on-campus student housing added in more than 30 years.
The new building on the corner of KLO and West Campus Road will add 216 beds for a totally of 360 beds on campus. The location of the development will also eliminate the need for students to commute to class, which in turn will allow for more time to focus on their studies. The college’s president says this development is long overdue.
“This will be monumental for the college,” said Neil Fassina, Okanagan College’s president.
“To be able to welcome on to campus up to 216 students that can make campus home, and at the same time be fully integrated into the Pandosy neighbourhood, it really does create that seamless barrier.”
According to a Statistics Canada report issued earlier this year, Kelowna is the fastest growing metropolitan area in Canada, making it difficult for some students to find housing.
“There is definitely a shortage,” said Annika Kirk, a student at the college.
“I think there’s a shortage on rentals in general in the valley, so this will be very huge to alleviate that stress on the community as well to open up some more spots for more families in the community.”
Finding housing in Kelowna can be ever harder for international students, because they don’t typically have the option to view what’s on the market in person before coming to Canada and pay more for tuition than students who are from here.
The hope is that this new development will help erase some of the stress of coming to Kelowna to study.
“I think this is going to be great because we have basically housing coordinators that will work directly with students, so that’s why they basically streamline the process which makes it easier for students as well,” explains international student Choi Hou Leong.
This development is one of three student housing projects set to be built in the Okanagan. Construction will start on the Kelowna campus early this summer, while construction will begin at the colleges Vernon and Salmon Arm campuses later this year.
The province is investing $66.5 million into the three residences, and the final price tag for all is $67.5 million.
More than 500 jobs will also be created as a result of these projects.
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