Take a look inside new downtown Kelowna office tower

After three to four years of planning, Nicola Wealth Real Estate (NWRE) and Mission Group have officially revealed The Block on 1499 St Paul St.

What was once a rundown department store, has now turned into a vibrant live-work community area.

“We kept an eye on it, and kept in contact with the owners, the previous owners of this site. And eventually we thought now's the time,” Mission Group CEO Jonathan Friesen said. “We made offers on the site and took it down, but right away our vision was a mixed-use community could be built here. The best solutions are usually in an urban setting, when you can live and work in the same place.”

The Block offers 125,000 square feet of commercial space designed with a focus on smart technology and sustainability. Behind the development, additional rental properties further enhance the downtown area. The ground level features various retail and dining options along Bernard Avenue, while a first-floor daycare adds to the convenience for working families.

“If you can live and work in proximity, especially on the same block, then you take cars off the road, it makes it a complete hassle-free, easy way to get to work. And and so we believe that not just for mission group, but other builders as well,” Friesen said. “We invite them into downtown Kelowna, and we hope it's a better place for everybody to live and work. And that's the idea, that we get to do this as a first case, is exciting, but we hope it's not the last case either by us or others as well.”

After years of planning and construction, Friesen noted the completion of The Block brings a sense of both relief and accomplishment as the long-envisioned project comes to life. The development has already attracted significant leasing interest from businesses seeking prime downtown office space.

“Kelowna used to be known as a sleepy little retirement town, but the people that are moving here and living here and they aspire to do business here are becoming younger,” he said. “A testament is that we're already 65 per cent leased on completion. Which in today's office market is quite unheard of.”