b'PROJECT PROFILEan 80,000-sq.-ft. conference centre and a 300-room hotel that together aim to create something enduring that contributes to the social, cultural and economic fabric of Kelowna, said project owner and developer Al Hildebrandt, who is bringing the concept forward through his company, Upstream Ventures.Hildebrandt purchased the 2.76-acre site in 2023 and is now in the early stages of generating support and funding for what he envisions as a national-scale conference centre befitting the citys growing global profile. Having been involved in the community since 1981through business, philanthropy and my time with the Chamber of CommerceI recognized a critical gap: Kelowna has no large-scale, purpose-built conference centre to anchor its rapidly evolving identity, he said.Hildebrandt launched the initiative after years of entrepreneurship in the tech THE RISE OF sector. Through the new conference centre, he hopes to address what he sees as a shortage of national-level meeting spaces in the regionfacilities that would help B.C.S INTERIOR:Kelowna compete with other destinations such as Kamloops and Vancouver.Arcadis has been selected as the projects INNOVATIVE PROJECTS REDEFINING THE REGION architect. Its concept features mass-timber construction and two levels of conference BY MATTHEW BRADFORD facilities designed to accommodate two 1,500-person events simultaneously. The B .C.s interior is fast becoming aKELOWNA CONFERENCE plan also includes approximately 45050 underground parking stalls.hub for construction innovation.CENTRE AND HOTEL 50 The following projects provide a sample Early planning is underway for the50According to Arcadis, the design of the of the large-scale projects, future-ready 5050 50 Kelowna Conference Centre and 5Kelowna Conference Centre and Hotel50050 designs and mass timber showpiecesHotel, a proposed development at 2041 !will reflect the defining elements of 50! 50 50bringing attention to the region. Harvey Avenue. The project includes "#$#%&\'()*+&,)"#$%( !) Kelownas identity. Renderings show a #)&*+ \' &, "#$#)* structure inspired by the orchards, fields&\'(&,+ % ) !!! ! !!"#$#% and rolling hills that characterize the " Quality Construction Products for Over 50 Years#$#%&&&\'\'\'((()))***+&&&,,,)))"#$#%"# #%& ! & "#$#%&) *+ &,))) #% \' *! &, \' ()+$ (*+ ! ,region, infused with the warmth of locally "#$&\' ( )"#$# Complete Line of Engineered Wood Products%&&&\'\'\'((()))***+&&&,,,)))"#$#%"#$#%Roof Trusses . Commercial, Roof & Floor . LVL Beams . I Joists . Metal Roofing . Glulam Beams .sourced mass timber.Complete Engineering Services . NUDURA Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) . Pre-Fabricated Wall PanelsBy weaving these threads into the! " architecturethrough materiality, form! " ! " #$ %! and spatial experiencewe aim to create ## $ % %! $!I N DU S " TRIE , S +a place that feels unmistakably Kelowna: ! " -&, + ! "())\',,\'-&, ! ())\' !" "(!" &\'-&,))\')**\'+& &\'())\' grounded in the land, shaped by tradition&\'())\')**\'+& ,,\'+ ,\'&\' &\'())\') +&! **\'&\' !!! """ #$ % %#$!try $ ! !! !#% !##$$%%!!KelownaLake Coun#$ $%$%% ! $ % ###and open to the future, Arcadis stated VernonWest KelownaKamloopsOsoyoosPentictonSalmon ArmRevelstoke&\' &\'(())\'**\'+&&\',\'+-&,+-&, in its initial report. This approach will &\'())\', ,,\'-87)766+& &\'8&\'())\', ,,\'))\'))\'))**\'())\'&\'())\' ,\'+ +-&,&\'()**\'+& ())\',())\',\' -&,&\')**\'+&&\'+&,,\'+ ,\'&\'())\')**\'+& &\'())\' -&, +-&,&\'(())\'))\')**\'&\'())\',,\'+-&,+-&,&\' ())\'))\')**\' 1 +&77-&\'())\',,\'+-&,1&\'())\')**\'1-+&545-3215&\'( 7-**\'-333 +& ,deliver not only a high-performance civic building, but a one-of-a-kind national 20 SOUTHERN INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION'