It isn't pretty to look at.
You can't miss it as you come off the WR Bennett Bridge while entering Kelowna from the south.
Now the City has purchased the land, after the first set of lights, for just over 2 million dollars
The City's Graham Hood says, "You come across the bridge and there's an important gateway into the city of Kelowna at that intersection of the highway - Water and Pandosy Streets. There's been a vacant building sitting on that corner since McDonald's ceased operations."
Hood says they will access the old McDonalds building on the site to see if it needs to be torn down or if it can be salvageable.
Press release from the City of Kelowna on May 12, 2020:
The City has acquired 1746 Water St. from McDonalds and settled the outstanding legal action.
“Proactive land acquisition is a key component of the City’s long-range financial and capital planning framework and this site represents a key location in the City’s western gateway,” said Graham Hood, Strategic Land Development Manager. “Coupled with last year’s acquisition of the former Husky station at 380 Harvey Ave., it represents a unique opportunity for future redevelopment.”
In 2007, during construction of the revised road alignments to facilitate opening of the William R. Bennett Bridge, McDonalds ceased operations in this location and claimed land and businesses losses against the City. Since that time, the City and McDonalds have been working together to resolve outstanding concerns, including remediation of the site.
“Assessment of the building, review of on-site security measures and remediation of the property is expected to begin immediately and take the better part of this year,” said Hood. “A plan for lot consolidation and future redevelopment options that leverage the site’s prominence at the entrance to both Kelowna and the downtown core will be brought forward for Council’s consideration in the coming months.”
The 0.725 acre parcel was purchased and the legal claims settled for $2.05 million.