Photo: John Lawless
What was once a bustling downtown eatery is being converted into a new innovation centre.
Taking its inspiration from the Kelowna Innovation Centre, the new hub will be home to a number of amenities for Vernon businesspeople and creative types. While shutting down the Naked Pig was difficult, the owners felt that this was a step in the right direction for the community.
“It was probably the hardest decision we ever made was closing the Naked Pig,” says Stefan Marten, co-owner of the space and the adjoining Marten Brewpub. “But we wanted to do something different, and when we heard there were talks about a potential innovation centre for Vernon we knew this would be the perfect location for it.”
Plans for the space will follow an open-concept style, with desks available for rent by the day. There are boardrooms also available for hourly or daily use and two office pods that startup businesses can rent for the short term before expanding.
“There will also be a lounge area facing 30th Avenue, where people can bring in food and drink from some of the great restaurants we have downtown,” co-owner Pearl Marten said. “I think this space will really help the atmosphere downtown and help support the surrounding businesses.”
Accelerate Okanagan, which runs Kelowna Innovation Centre, will be the flagship concierge of the space. The project is also being run through Community Futures Okanagan, and there are many potential events and opportunities that can use the future centre.
“You could have university professors come down for the day, you could have bankers hold meetings here, the possibilities are really endless,” Stefan said. “Also anyone from the community that has an idea, like let’s say building an app, they can come here to work and receive help in this space.”
The innovation centre will allow local like-minded people to rub shoulders and learn from one another in a community space, and gain knowledge from others in similar fields.
“The biggest part for us was to help build up the community downtown and give people more reasons to frequent downtown,” Pearl said. “There are so many wonderful businesses downtown, and we think this space will improve the overall scene.”
The Naked Pig officially closed in October and sat empty until March while the Marten decided what the space should be used for. Due to COVID-19, materials from suppliers have been delayed significantly, so a firm opening date is unknown at this time. However, the construction itself is only about a month or two away from completion, so the innovation centre may be opening before too long.
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