Waterfront Parks Plan

The Downtown Waterfront Parks Plan is broken down into the following three components:

Stuart Park Concept

Stuart Park is a new park that will be a showcase for urban waterfront park development. Named after former mayor Jim Stuart the community park will function as an important year-round civic space.

Key components of the park include:

• A civic plaza - featuring a winter ice rink and a year-round venue for public gatherings and community events;
• A raised central area that functions as a stage for the civic plaza, provides a variety of informal seating and is the site of a major public art piece dedicated to the concept of ‘community’ in Kelowna;
• An enhanced streetscape for Water Street, defining it as a civic street and including recognition for recipients of the annual community leadership awards;
• A grand public promenade along the waterfront, providing a scenic stroll along the lake and connecting Kerry Park to Waterfront Park;
• Removal of the existing retaining wall along the shoreline and development of a functioning riparian ecosystem along the edge of the lake;
• An urban ‘orchard’ that pays homage to the community’s agricultural roots.

Construction of this portion of the Waterfront Parks Plan is currently underway.

Kerry Park Concept

Kerry Park has historically been the community’s ‘heart’, or focal point, where its main street (Bernard) meets its greatest asset (Okanagan Lake). The improvements proposed for Kerry Park will retain and enhance this role. Key components proposed for Kerry Park include:

• Retention of the “Sails” sculpture and redesign and redevelopment of the water feature around it, as well as retention and relocation of the “Ogopogo” sculpture;
• A plaza centered around the “Sails” that provides opportunity for walking, sitting, viewing and events, and enhances the community’s “front door” on Okanagan Lake;
• Partial closure of the ends of Bernard Avenue and Abbott Street (i.e. at non-peak times and except as required for maintenance and emergency vehicle access) to provide a predominately pedestrian area around the “Sails”;
• Widening and re-development of the waterfront pathway between Stuart and City Parks;
• A public pier near the end of Queensway that provides boating services (e.g. fuel, sanitary pump out) and day-use moorage for the boating public;
• A privately-run restaurant at the foot of the pier adjacent to the park;
• Public washrooms as part of the proposed restaurant building or as part of a private building developed next to the park;
• Relocation of the commercial boats currently moored beside the “Sails” to the proposed pier, re-opening views of the lake from Kerry Park; and
• Redevelopment of the informal performance venue, including a performance platform and grass seating area.

City Park Concept

The improvements proposed for City Park as part of this design process are focused on the park’s waterfront edge, between the walkway and the waterline, and in special instances into and over the lake. These improvements include:

•  A wider and higher quality pedestrian promenade along the lake side of the park;
• Development of a new aquatics pavilion at the site of the historic one, including a 50 metre swimming area, diving platform and ‘beach’ upland of these waterside facilities;
• A public gathering place and panoramic viewpoint where Hot Sands Beach and Cold Sands Beach meet;
• A performance venue in the northeast corner of the park, adjacent to the proposed “Sails” plaza that has a slightly higher audience and performance capacity then the venue proposed for Kerry Park;
• Replacement of the existing playground with a single, large, multi-age playground including play equipment and activities for the beach and into the lake;
• A family picnic area located between the proposed playground and the existing water park;
• Improvements to the fisheries habitat along Cold Sands Beach; and
• One new public washroom near the “Sails” plaza and redevelopment of the existing washrooms/changeroom facility at Hot Sands Beach.

Timing

The redevelopment of the downtown waterfront is expected to begin with construction of the first phase of Stuart Park in 2009. However, the timing is contingent upon federal government environmental approvals. The plan is expected to take several years to complete and is meant as a framework for future works.