The excitement is building as construction on Kelowna's New Visitor Centre enters the home stretch!

There has been a lot of progress in recent weeks and the project and construction team are working hard in anticipation of the project completion date. Soon after, Tourism Kelowna staff and volunteers will work quickly to move in to the new visitor centre and open it to the public, and we anticipate our public opening to be on the afternoon of June 28, 2018! The project remains on budget and on schedule. Environmental monitoring continues with no issues to report. 

“The accessibility to the downtown core and neighboring hotels will surely be seen as a welcome addition by guests and residents, and the enhanced services that the Tourism Kelowna team will now be able to offer is exciting, and extremely valuable,” said Tania Rutt, General Manager, Prestige Beach House Kelowna.

It's true, and we're getting down to the final details! 

Construction Update

  • All of the glass is in place.
  • The roofing is complete on both sides, and the feature wood ceiling is complete. 
  • Stucco work is underway. 
  • Drywalling is near complete; trim work is ongoing.
  • The building's mechanical work is complete and duct work is underway. 

Tourism Kelowna would like to thank the project and construction team for all their extra hard work and effort on this project; we appreciate the extra enthusiasm you have brought to the project. 

photo of new visitor centre interior

Visitor Centre Move Details

The move has been months in the planning, and starts right now.Tourism Kelowna's Visitor Experience team's priority is uninterrupted service during the move. 

Please note the following dates for the closure of the current visitor centre (544 Harvey Avenue), interim (mobile) visitor centre dates, and hours of operation at the new Kelowna Visitor Centre located at 238 Queensway Avenue. 

  • Through to Wednesday, June 20, 2018: 544 Harvey Avenue (Kelowna Chamber of Commerce building); hours from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • From Thursday, June 21 to Sunday, June 24: tent in front of 544 Harvey Avenue (Kelowna Chamber of Commerce building); hours from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • From Monday, June 25 to Thursday, June 28: tent in front of 238 Queensway Avenue (new Kelowna Visitor Centre location); hours from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • Projected public opening of the new Kelowna Visitor Centre: Thursday, June 28 at 2:00 p.m.
  • From Friday, June 29: 238 Queensway Avenue; hours from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., 7 days a week (extended hours through to October 31, 2018).

Landscaping 

We are so excited to start welcoming visitors and residents at the new Kelowna Visitor Centre, there will still be more happening behind the scenes to finish the project, even after we open.  

In addition to the finer details on building construction, we are aware that the landscaping project led by the City of Kelowna will not be complete for some weeks after the new Kelowna Visitor Centre opens. That means a portion of the waterfront walkway will not be accessible when the building opens, until landscaping in that area is complete. For more information on the landscaping project, please visit the City of Kelowna website

There's more to do, and more that will continue after the building is open to the public. If you have any questions about the construction project, please contact Jennifer Horsnell at jennifer@tourismkelowna.com or by calling (250) 861-1515 ext 205. For questions about the visitor centre programming, please contact Chris Lewis at chris@tourismkelowna.com or by calling (250) 861-15125 ext 207. 

We look forward to welcoming you - and so many others - at the new Kelowna Visitor Centre very soon! 

Photo of Tourism Kelowna staff at visitor centre construction project