Kelowna City Council had their first look at a proposed marijuana research and development complex Monday. The 50 thousand square foot facility would be located on McCarthy Road near Beaver Lake Road, on the northern outskirts of the city. The R and D operation would be run by Hawthorne Gardening Company, a subsidiary of Scotts Miracle Grow, and the Flowr Corporation, who are one of the BC government’s recently-approved producers of recreational cannabis.
Council has been asked to approve re-zoning from agricultural to industrial to allow for the complex, but concerns arose over what the building would end up looking like. In an industrial area, the City has less power over the attractiveness of the finished building.
Doctor Lyle Oberg, Chief Policy and Medical Officer for Flowr Corp is trying to dispel those concerns:
“Scotts Hawthorne are a company that is well known around the world, and it’s certainly in their interest to build a building that is appealing. They’ll be having tours through, looking at what they’re working on and I think the aesthetics are probably the least thing that should be concerned about…We’re the only research cannabis facility in the world. We’re very proud of that and it’s something we want to show off. ”
Oberg, on the winery-type look of the design:
“Well certainly we’re in the wine region and we don’t want anything that’s a sore thumb. We want something that everyone can be proud of and the people of Kelowna can be proud of.”
If the R&D complex is approved construction will begin later this year and is expected to be finished by Summer 2019.
