Crane up at UBCO site

Kathy Michaels - Jan 24, 2025 - Biz Releases

Photo: Kathy Michaels

Change is afoot at a controversial downtown Kelowna development site.

Progress at the UBC Okanagan tower is advancing, with the piling stage of construction completed in mid-November and now foundation work is underway. The below-ground foundation work is expected to be complete by summer 2025.

“Recently, a crane was installed on site to lift and lower building materials,” a university spokesperson said.

“The crane has been installed pursuant to the terms of various crane-swing agreements and in compliance with applicable safety requirements.”

The university spokesperson said UBC Okanagan is continuing to follow and implement the recommendations of their engineering professionals as the foundation work progresses, including but not limited to monitoring and reviewing soil movement.

“We understand that all data indicate that conditions remain stable,” the spokesperson said. “UBC is and will continue to follow the advice of its engineers and other professionals as work on the project continues.”

UBC Okanagan tweaked the design of its downtown campus tower, lowering the height from 46 storeys to 43.

Construction of the new UBC Okanagan tower began in 2023 at the the corner of Doyle Avenue and St. Paul Street, with excavation for a proposed four-storey underground parking garage.

Damage, however, caused by the shifting ground was widespread. It affected multiple nearby buildings as large cracks appeared in foundations and walls.

Notably, residents of Hadgraft Wilson, a housing development for people with special needs, had to have its 80 residents vacate.

Those residents and Eight Spaces Group, which ran a co-working space in the now demolished building, filed a lawsuit in May 2024 against UBC Properties Investments Ltd., Doyle Street Properties, the City of Kelowna, GeoPacific Consultants and a number of other consulting firms and unnamed engineers and contractors.


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