Here's who is behind the proposed development
The development of the old packinghouse property on Main Street had a public hearing last week in Osoyoos.
The team of developers and managers who were in Osoyoos to talk about their plans included the following:
Glen Harris, General Manager of Hasskenson Development Corporation and a partner in the BC Ltd. company applying for the development permit;
Partner David Webbe, President of Darwin Construction Ltd.;
Rare Earth Project Marketing Manager James Askew, a former Intrawest executive who has in the last six years launched over 30 resort/condo properties in B.C.;rn Mike Huggins of Burrows Huggins Architects Ltd., who has been involved in designing for Intrawest and has just completed an $80 million Four Seasons Hotel in Whistler;
and Mike Duggin, Chairman of the Board for Tourism B.C. and President of Boutique Hotels of B.C., who specializes in managing individually owned hotel/resort developments.
At the public hearing, architect Mike Huggins detailed the project, which includes six components.
The total develop-ment includes a hotel, resort residential villas and townhouses, a convention facility, retail commercial space, a health spa and a restaurant.
The main building is a 12-storey tower at the north end of the site that consists of a hotel and residences, 95 per cent of which Huggins explained would be view oriented.
The next element is referred to as the podium, which runs the entire length of the site, with a restaurant at the east end, a convention facility to seat approximately 250 people and underground parking.
A second floor podium incorporates all the retail stores and fronts Main Street.
The residential villas consist of eight two-storey units, 100 per cent of which are view oriented and overlook the pool.
Next are townhouses on the lake which comprise six buildings, for a total of 36 units.
The final element is a pool/courtyard area.
Huggins said the developers would coordinate with the community on an access pathway along the waterfront to tie in with the public walkway adjacent to the existing White Sands condo development.
The design of the project would incor-porate a Spanish or Italian architectural influence and include trellises and tile roofs.
Huggins also said the landscaping would take into consideration the limited water resources and include indigenous plants.
The situation of the buildings maximizes sun exposure and Huggins said the placement of the single tower at the north end is to ensure view corridors throughout the balance of the development.
No approval has yet been made to rezone the subject property from Waterfront Development to Comprehensive Development – Osoyoos Lake Resort which would allow the development to take place.
