This new hotel will build upon history...literally

The owners of the long-dormant and scaffolded lot on the corner of Water Street and Lawrence Avenue are hoping their latest vision will gain the approval of city lawmakers.

It deliberately combines old and new architectural elements.

The application to the city to build a 12-storey, 72 room boutique hotel, calls for an amendment to the Official Community Plan. That's because it exceeds by nine storeys the maximum allowable height for a building in that area.

The proponents, Mark Anthony Group - which owns several top wineries and vineyards including Mission Hill and Cedar Creek - had previous plans to construct a two-storey wine bar, lounge and visitor centre, but that failed to materialize.

The vision for the downtown site, presented by McKinley Studios, calls for “an iconic dining experience and rooftop lounge” alongside the hotel.

The development includes two buildings of significant historic value. One of them, the old Courier building, has had it's heritage façade supported by scaffold for years. The other neighboring building has close associations with the Chinese-Canadian community in Kelowna.

The design concept “celebrates the existing heritage façade” and proposes a contemporary new podium built above.

In their proposal to the city the architects say the new building would “sit at the intersection of the historic downtown and intense future densification. The massing and design language should be complementary to both conditions, creating a gradient between old and new.”

The site has been dormant for almost three years since the earlier construction proposal failed to get off the ground because the developer did not secure the necessary liquor licensing.