36-storey condo tower to go up across the street from UBCO's 46-storey 'vertical campus'

Now that UBCO has the green light for its 46-storey 'vertical campus' at the corner of Doyle Avenue and St. Paul Street, One Varsity is going full steam ahead with its 36-storey condominium tower across the street.

The One Varsity name takes inspiration from 'varsity' being the team that represents a university and 'One' is also part of the One Water Street name, the other highrise project in Kelowna the developers are involved with.

In fact, the 36-storey One Water East condo tower -- which is already built on Sunset Drive and is currently Kelowna's tallest building -- looks similar to the 36-storey One Varsity proposal.

One Varsity is being overseen by a consortium of four developers -- Chilliwack-based Kerkhoff Construction, North American Development Group, bbf: and New Generation Properties.

While One Varsity was officially kicked off today, it still has a long way to go to reality.

It has initial rezoning permission from the City of Kelowna for 36 storeys at the southwest corner of Doyle Avenue and St. Paul Street.

But it will still have to go through a public hearing and get final approval from the city.

The height is within Official Community Plan guidelines for the area, so it should pass public hearing and get city OKs.

After all, two other highrises along Doyle Avenue -- the aforementioned 46-storey UBCO skyscraper and 25-storey apartment building at 350 Doyle on the former RCMP site -- both went through public hearings and received approvals last month.

One Varsity is inviting potential buyers to register now at OneVarsity.ca to get the latest information, including when a presentation centre will officially open later this month.

Condo selection and pre-sales will follow before construction starts in the spring aiming for 2026 completion.

There will be 56 micro-suites, 56 studio condos, 55 one-bedroom units, 56 one-bedroom-plus-den condos and 118 two-bedroom units.

Prices have yet to be released.

The sixth floor, above ground-level storefronts and five levels of parking, will be devoted to resident amenities, including outdoor pool and hot tub, dog run, lounge and barbecue area, kid's play area and indoor party room with kitchen, co-work space, gym and yoga studio, dog lounge and wash.

A ground floor plaza and patio will face Doyle Avenue and UBCO's downtown campus.

While the One Varsity name sounds collegiate and the development seeks links to the university, it will not officially be part of UBCO's downtown campus.

Although One Varsity hopes to attract some university students as residents, it's scope is much wider.

Its 'smart people, smart living, smart move' marketing position is aimed at "sophisticated, active urbanites of all ages, including UBCO faculty and students" who want a centrally located home and downtown lifestyle close shops, restaurants, entertainment, culture, Okanagan Lake and the nature of Knox Mountain.

"One Varsity will bolster Kelowna's transition from terrific small Okanagan city to great small global city," said Kerkhoff Construction president Leonard Kerkhoff.

"As part of downtown Kelowna's ongoing redevelopment, One Varsity's innovative mixed-use offerings will fill a gap in the urban fabric, adding to the available amenities and attractions in the city's walkable core."