Stylish Southgate takes a convenient and walkable Kelowna location
Claudia Kwan
The Vancouver Sun
Southgate
Project Address: 2627 Gore St., Kelowna
Developer: Teano Holdings
Architect: Matt Johnson, Architecturally Distinct Solutions
Interior design: Tamara Jones, Forme Interior Design
Project size: 19 homes
Unit sizes: 467 —1,522 sq. ft.
Price: from $299,900
Sales centre: 2640 Pandosy St., Kelowna
Website: liveatsouthgate.com
For starters, Bakonyi says the location in Pandosy Village is tremendously convenient for his project, dubbed Southgate. Anyone having to commute downtown, — to Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus or to work at Kelowna General Hospital — would be able to do so in about five minutes. Kelowna Secondary School is about the same distance, with other schools even closer. Knox Mountain Park, UBC Okanagan and the Kelowna airport are easily accessible.
“Pandosy leads you to where all of the wineries are, the golf courses – like a village by the (Okanagan) lake,” he says. “It’s a cute Kitsilano-like neighbourhood with the lake running parallel to you, beach access, tennis – it’s one of the hottest areas for someone who wants to live, work and walk around to go to restaurants.”
Bakonyi is president of Teano Holdings, and the team for his Southgate project includes Matt Johnson of Architecturally Distinct Solutions, Tamara Jones of Forme Interior Design and well-known local builder Worman Homes.
“Shane Worman from Worman Homes has been a visionary in Kelowna; his homes have a beautiful brick look and style that’s pretty distinctive,” Bakonyi says. “I wanted to be part of the continuity of the community and making it a better place to be.”
Renderings of Southgate show a gleaming white building façade delineated with a striking black roofline, as well as dark-framed glass doorways and windows. Balcony railings are limned in more black, in a modern take on the classic palette of black and white. The outdoor spaces are sizable, as befitting a building where residents will want to take advantage of indoor-outdoor living, especially during the summer months. On the fourth floor, the penthouses are stepped back under the roofline to offer shaded, expansive private decks.
The white theme continues inside, with white cabinetry in the bathrooms and kitchens. The black is softened to grey, Carrera marble-style veining in the white quartz countertops and backsplashes. A darker palette is also available for those who prefer it, as is an upgrade from vinyl plank flooring to wood and carpet in bedroom areas. White roller shades are standard throughout, as are stainless steel kitchen appliances.
The open-concept kitchen, complete with a central island, was designed with entertaining in mind. Throughout the course of the day, it could be variously used to grab breakfast, prepare meals or serve up canapés at an evening gathering. The idea was to have the home feel wide open and spacious.
Bakonyi, who has family in the Kelowna area and has spent a lot of time in the region, has noticed an influx of young people moving to the city, particularly within the technology sector. Many, after selling a home in the Lower Mainland, are finding they can easily buy in Kelowna’s more affordable market and still have some cash left over. He expects Southgate’s purchasers to be almost entirely owner-occupiers, although long-term rentals are allowed and vacancy rates are low in Kelowna.
The design team tried to think of all of the little things that would make the homes enjoyable. They included as many oversized windows as possible, in order to let the maximum amount of natural light in, and to allow residents to drink in the views of Okanagan Lake or bustling streetscape. They considered easy transitions between different living areas, to allow for traffic flow from kitchen to living areas to outside. Exterior natural gas hookups are included for barbecues on the balconies and decks, which range in size from approximately 300 to 500 square feet.
The building may be wood frame, but additional soundproofing measures have been incorporated into walls and floors to try and minimize sound transfer between homes. Almost all homes have parking stalls. Secure storage lockers have been sized such that there is room for recreational toys to be stored. The easy proximity to parks and recreational areas means bikes, boats, skis and snowboards, and other assorted gear could be in frequent rotation.
Bakonyi says the overall idea is that residents will fully embrace the neighbourhood and everything it has to offer.
“It’s a residential project, but it’s almost recreational at the same time,” he points out. “It’s like resort-style living in a bustling, vibrant area – the best of all possible worlds.”
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