Penticton city council to look at Front Street development proposal

PENTICTON – City council will be looking at a new proposal for a multi-storey building in Penticton's downtown on what is presently a parking lot.

City staff are recommending council approve first reading for an amendment to allow development of a $10 million, five-storey building on Front Street, prior to forwarding the proposal to the July 18 public hearing.

The amendment requests an increase in maximum building height from 15 metres to 18.97 metres on the four lots located at 103, 111,117 and 123 Front St. The four lots were once home to the Slack Alice Show Pub, which was destroyed by fire in February, 2012, and has been a parking lot since.

Council recently gave the go-ahead to another five storey mixed use building on Backstreet Boulevard, which also required a similar Official Community Plan amendment.

The Front Street proposal would see a mixed-use, building with 20,000 feet of commercial office space and 16 residential units, along with eight parking stalls.

The current height restriction on Front Street is four storeys. The proposal before council would see four storeys at street level on Front Street, with the additional fifth level pertaining only to the back of the building, facing an alleyway.

The developer proposes to phase building construction by completing office and retail space on the ground level, with added offices on level three and four residential units above. The second phase would see 12 more residential units completed.

The property is part of the City’s downtown economic zone and may be eligible for incentives.

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