Students from Kelowna Christian School made a visit to the offices of local builder Mission Group this week to present their vision for the former Bargain Shop at 560 Bernard Avenue.
In September, Mission Group announced that they had purchased the vacant site. At the time, Mission Group VP of development Luke Turri said the landmark property was a “great, blank canvas” that will shape the downtown of the future.
KCS teacher Dwayne Schulz took that to heart and asked his Economics 12 class the question: If you were the builder that just bought this property, what would you put here and why?
Related: What should replace the Bargain Shop
His students prepared presentations to share with Mission Group, including proposals on building design, amenities, and community vision.
“The students re-imagined the space where the Bargain Shop is right now from the builder’s point of view,” said Schulz. “They had to do a bit of research into what it takes to develop a property, such as city zoning and industry trends.”
Students agreed on a mixed-use tower as the best use for the site. Interestingly, each group proposed common spaces and amenities to encourage social connection and to foster a sense of belonging amongst residents.
“These are bright kids and we loved their creativity,” added Turri. “As a company we’re actually going through the same exercises on this property right now, trying to figure out the right mix of uses that will integrate best with the Bernard district and Kelowna community.”
And what did Turri think of the students’ ideas?
“The students taught us a thing or two today.”
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