Park Features
Stuart Park will boast the following community conscious and eco-friendly features:
Riparian Enhancements
The existing retaining wall and pathways that parallel the waterfront will be removed and the shoreline will be enhanced to provide a positive contribution to the habitat. These enhancements will also allow viewing of the boat basin from the public promenade, provide opportunities for the public to have ‘boardwalk’ or ‘stepping stone’ access to the water’s edge and will deter access to the park from the lake by wildlife (i.e. beavers).
Lakeside Promenade
A tree-lined, furnished and lit public promenade will be developed along the waterfront, providing an accessible and scenic stroll along the lake and connecting Kerry Park to the promenade in front of the Delta Grand Hotel. In January of 2010, Kelowna citizens and visitors will have the opportunity to take their first strolls along this new promenade.
Civic Plaza
The centre of the park features a civic plaza that will function as a year-round venue for community gathering and events. In the winter months, the plaza will double as a refrigerated public skating rink. It is anticipated that the public will be able to enjoy this new skating feature in January 2010.
Promontory
A small “mountain” is located at the centre of the park, just south of the civic plaza and in line with the front doors of City Hall. This knoll is an artistic representation of Kelowna’s mountainous landscapes and is designed to be an accessible performance platform for the civic plaza, the setting for a major piece of public art (the ‘Kelowna Bear’) and provide an elevated vantage point with panoramic views of Okanagan Lake. The promontory features two public washrooms on the west (lake) side of the building, which also houses the utilities for the park and ice rink.
Urban Grove
Representative of the agricultural heritage of the community, the urban grove is comprised of a small orchard, or gallery of trees. This urban grove also includes a water feature at the corner of Water Street and Queensway Avenue.
Streetscapes (Water Street and Queensway Avenue)
The frontages of the park on Water Street and Queensway Avenue are treed pedestrian edges. Additionally, the area between the Water Street sidewalk and the civic plaza has features for the recognition of recipients of the annual community leadership awards.
Entrance Arch
In the warm seasons this arch is an entrance to the event plaza and acts as a backdrop for an outdoor room beside the plaza. In winter months, insulated modular walls and a roof will be added to the arch to house ice cleaning equipment and a snow melt pit for the skating rink.
Public Art
The Public Art Committee
has commissioned a major piece of public art (‘Kelowna Bear’) for Stuart Park. The sculpture will be located on the promontory.
Contact Us
Andrew Gibbs
Manager, Park and Public Space Projects
agibbs@kelowna.ca
250 469-8836
