New residential and retail complex in downtown Penticton

PENTICTON – A Penticton businessperson is breathing new life into the 500-block in the city's downtown.

John Vassilaki is getting ready to hold an open house for Tiffany's Boutique Mall, a project he’s been working on for one and a half years in the former nightclub his family owned for nearly 40 years.

The nightclub business fell on hard times after the 1990s. The 10,000 square foot building sat unused and empty for four years until Vassilaki began his latest project.

The building has since been completely revamped, with seven boutique style retail outlets downstairs and five residential suites upstairs, accessed by an elevator that was installed as part of the $1.5 million in renovations.

Several renovation challenges had to be overcome in the transition of the building from nightclub to retail and residential complex. A large opening in the centre of the second floor had to be re-engineered, and installation of an elevator shaft also proved to be a daunting task.

“It took six months to gut the building and a year to upgrade it,” Vassilaki says, noting few buildings only two storeys tall have an elevator. “I wanted the building to be senior friendly."

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