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The Rise Okanagan Hills Development Corporation Media Coverage The Calgary Herald, September 30, 2006.
Reprinted from The Calgary Herald To subscribe to the electronic edition of The Calgary Herald, click here. The Calgary Herald, September 30, 2006. Text. Pickings are ripe in peach country Range of styles offered in Vernon area Byline: Kathy Mccormick As the first stop in the Okanagan valley for vacationing Calgarians, Vernon is a place where many end up staying. The developments are varied and provide a range of housing and amenities to suit all ages and market segments -- and many Calgarians are taking advantage of that to buy a home, whether permanent or vacation property. The following is a list of some of the developments (this is not a complete list of all new projects in Vernon, but a sampling of what's offered): - The Rise: Ian Renton, senior VP of Okanagan Hills Development Corp., is developing The Rise. The project covers 294 hectares on hillside land that rises 1,500 feet above Lake Okanagan. It will contain 550 condos and 660 single-family homes, its own winery and vineyard, and an 18-hole golf course. "When I stepped onto the land, I knew I should own it, so I bought it 30 days later," says company president Leona Snider. "That was 1990 and I was always going to have homes there -- then came the idea of the vineyards and the golf." One-third of the property will remain natural, one-third will contain the vineyard and winery, and the final third will include the golf course, with homes around it. "In 2005, I would say that about 33 per cent of buyers were from Calgary and 35 per cent from Vancouver," says Renton. "But this year, it would be fair to say that fully 60 per cent are from Calgary. I'd like The Rise to get to the point where buyers would see the Okanagan as their first home and Calgary as their second." Some details about the The Rise: - Twelve of the 18 holes on the golf course will have no homes on them. - Originally, the City of Vernon's plan for the property would have allowed 2,600 housing lots, "but we preferred to provide a lot of open space and later decided to add a golf course and winery," says Renton. - He calls it an "urban-agri" community. - Build-out is to occur in 2012, with the golf course open by next summer. Visit the website at www.TheRise.ca |
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