The rebuilding of a long section of Kelowna鈥檚 downtown waterfront is a daunting project for construction companies, city councillors heard this week.听
Only two bids were received for the project, which involves the lakeshore to the north and south of Bernard Avenue, and both were above city estimates.
So the undertaking has been deferred with the city鈥檚 new intention being to break the job down into smaller components.听
鈥淲e tendered this project a few months ago, and it was too big, too complex, it was the whole city frontage along with the Sails frontage, along with the Kerry Park section. It scared away a lot of bidders,鈥 infrastructure delivery manager Brian Beach said.听
鈥淲e only got two submissions and they were both well over budget,鈥 he said.听
So the city has simplified the project to just the area along the City Park shoreline. Planned improvements, which include separate paths for bicycles and pedestrians, are estimated to cost about $5 million, council heard.听
The hope is more companies will bid on the smaller job, with other components - such as the rebuilding of the reflecting pool around the Sails sculpture - moving forward at a later date. That pool will be shallower than the existing one, and have more of an 鈥渋nfinity pool鈥 appearance for passers-by, council heard.听
During an update on various capital works projects, Beach also said:听
- a berm could be installed along the east side of the Burtch Road extension to KLO Road to better isolate traffic from the environmentally-sensitive nearby Munson Pond, pending approval from the Agricultural Land Reserve. 鈥淥ut of sight, out of mind, so to speak,鈥 Beach said, referring to the intended effect of the proposed berm to protect the wetland and waterfowl from the new road鈥檚 impact.听
- new activity centres in the Mission, Rutland, and Glenmore should open by the fall of 2027
- improvements along a section of Lakeshore Road have been deferred because of delays in reaching deals with property owners to get the necessary rights-of-way. 鈥淧roperty acquisition can be a tough job for our real estate people,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 keep saying, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you just expropriate? And they say, 鈥榃ell, it comes with an added cost, and there鈥檚 a stigma to taking instead of asking,鈥 Beach said. 鈥淪o they do their due diligence and negotiate the best deal they can. Sometimes it just takes a little longer.鈥
- the city intends to spruce up the interior of existing and new roundabouts with new plantings to make the traffic circles more attractive
- the reconstruction of a small performance platform in Waterfront Park is nearing completion, with it expected to be ready for use by the end of June. Previously, it was known as Island Stage, as it was surrounded by water and connected to the park via a small bridge. But part of the lagoon has been filled in to accommodate the new stage, so the old name isn鈥檛 quite right anymore. 鈥淲e should have a competition, perhaps, to name that new facility,鈥 Beach said.听
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