City Hall/Library Building design takes shape

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021

Save the date, West Kelowna!

Beginning Monday, Sept. 20, you’ll have the opportunity to provide input on the City Hall/Library Building in the second and last round of consultation. Your input will help finalize the Detailed Design of the City Hall/Library Building. Feedback will remain open through to Sunday, Oct. 3.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Online: Visit us online at ourwk.ca/cityhallproject to take a virtual tour of the open house boards, watch the video animations, complete the questionnaire or add comments to the ideas portal.
  
  
• In-person:
  • View the display boards at the Westbank Library located at 2484 Main Street.
  • Stop by our pop-up engagement sessions to learn more about the project, ask questions and provide your feedback (schedule to be announced).
    
    
• By mail: contact us and we’ll arrange for a package of materials to be mailed to you, including a paper copy of the questionnaire.

To stay up to date on current engagement opportunities, sign up for updates at westkelownacity.ca/subscribe.

What we heard

In June and July 2021, we heard from the community about what features and elements of the site and building were most important as part of the first round of Preliminary Design consultation.

Feedback highlights:

Of the 308 responses to the questionnaire, we heard:

• Customer experience: 75% of people said an in-person information desk or customer service area was important to see within the building

• Outdoor landscaping: 75% of people said drought tolerant and sustainable vegetation was important to incorporate into the landscape design

• Exterior seating: 62% said outdoor seating such as chairs, picnic tables and benches were very important and would contribute to the enjoyment of the space

• Library space and services: 41% said they visited the library once per month, most often to pick up books on hold

• Community gathering spaces: the top three activities people would like to see in the plaza are artisan markets, arts, cultural and heritage exhibitions, and small music events

To learn more about what we heard, read the Preliminary Design Consultation Reports:

• Sept. 7 - Report to Council
• Preliminary Design Consultation Summary Report
• Preliminary Design Questionnaire Response Report

Site servicing

Construction work to install underground utilities and site servicing began earlier this week. Work coincides with annual maintenance work at Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre to reduce temporary interruptions for patrons of the facility.

The City-owned site located at 3731 Old Okanagan Highway is soon to be a vibrant area that provides greater civic services to the area with the centralization of the City’s administration, provide a permanent home for the West Kelowna Library, and include constituency offices of the Member of Parliament and Member of Legislative Assembly.

With its proximity to Westbank Centre, Memorial Park, Johnson Bentley Aquatic Centre and the Annette Beaudreau Memorial Amphitheatre, the area will be a welcoming place to gather and a catalyst to Westbank Centre area revitalization.

To learn more about the project, visit westkelownacity.ca/cityhallproject