City buys former McDonalds site

The City of Kelowna has bought a site at 1746 Water Street from McDonalds and settled outstanding legal action.

In 2007, during construction of the revised road alignments to facilitate opening of the William R. Bennett Bridge, McDonalds closed at that site and claimed land and businesses losses against the city. Since that time, the city and McDonalds have been working to resolve outstanding concerns, including remediation of the site.

“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.”

The 0.725 acre parcel was purchased and the legal claims settled for $2.05 million.

“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.”