Penticton: Compact housing designs on offer at Nikola

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A pair of British Columbia-based developers are building a village in the heart of Penticton, creating jobs, homes and community.

Tien Sher Group and Stryke Group are building a master-planned mixed-use urban community called Innovation District that will eventually house 2,000 people and generate 300 jobs. The 10-acre village, on a brownfield site across from Penticton Regional Hospital, will be comprised of 13 office, medical and residential buildings, including for sale, for rent, independent and assisted living options. A hotel and a public plaza are part of the design, and most buildings will have street-level restaurants and retailers.

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Phase 1 of Innovation District has already begun with the launch of Nikola, a six-storey strata building with 127 compact studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments at equally compact prices. Entry-level suites, with 353 square feet, start at $279,900, and sales have been brisk.

“Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes. Some have said the homes are too small, but we say they’re affordable,” says Stryke managing director Rocky Sethi, a 20-plus-year veteran of the development industry.

“We see a situation where there’s a need for workforce housing. We have really thought about how people will live in this community. There’s an overabundance of larger units in the Okanagan, especially in Penticton, so we really wanted to come in with affordable units.”

Home sizes range from junior one-bedrooms at 460 square feet, one-bedrooms with about 500 square feet, two-bedroom options starting at 560 square feet, and three-bedrooms offering about 870 or more square feet of space. At the top end, prices start in the high $600,000s.

The design of each unit is simple yet timeless. Units feature vinyl plank flooring and colour palettes that reflect elements of the Okanagan: the mountains, lakes and beaches.

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“Light, fresh and crisp. Every home is responsive to how people live in the Okanagan,” Sethi says.

With active lifestyles so important in the Interior region, Nikola will have a bevy of amenities such as a gym, a yoga room, a workspace and a quiet room for remote meetings or podcasting, a pet wash and a bicycle repair station in the underground parkade and a rooftop deck, Sethi says.

“We’ll have seating areas, a sauna, a couple of barbecue spots. It’s a place where residents can go and feel comfortable alone reading a book or with five or 10 of your friends. It will work for a lot of people, with views of Skaha Lake and the mountains,” Sethi explains.

The Scandinavian expression of Nikola was developed by Arcadis, a Netherlands-based architectural firm with a branch in Kelowna. Arcadis was chosen because of its international perspective and local lens.

This first building in Innovation District was named for innovator Nikola Tesla. Every building will have its own identity following this theme, leading to similar naming conventions for the remaining 12. Most buildings will have commercial spaces, and while no specific brands have been announced yet, the retailers, restaurateurs and coffee vendors will include some local favourites.

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“We’re trying to curate the best of Penticton and the broader Okanagan. All that commercial will be like a microcosm of the site itself, forming a ring around the pedestrian plaza. It will cocoon the area,” he says.

“We’ll also have a daycare in this first phase, and we’re excited about that. There’s such a need, especially since we’re right across from the hospital.”

Innovation District is connected to the city via Ellis Creek Trail and Government Street, so getting around on foot, by bike or behind the wheel is fairly simple. The central location is 10 minutes from Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake. For skiing or mountain biking, Apex Mountain Resort is just 45 minutes away by vehicle. Penticton is served by a regional airport about seven kilometres from Innovation District.

Project Name: Nikola at Innovation District

Project Address: 1704 Government St., Penticton, B.C.

Project Scope: Nikola is a 127-unit residential building in Phase 1 of the Innovation District located across from the Penticton Regional Hospital. The six-storey building has retail at grade with studio, one, two and three-bedroom homes efficiently packed into 353 to 960 square feet. Starting prices range from $279,900 to the high $600,000s. Resident amenities include a rooftop deck, fitness room and stretch/yoga lounge, co-working space with podcast booth, plus a dog wash and bike repair area in the underground parkade.

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Developers: Tien Sher Group and Stryke Group

Architect: Arcadis Architecture

Prices: Studio suites start at $279,900. One-bedroom units start in the mid $400,000s, two bedrooms in the low $500,000s and three-bedrooms are priced from the high $600,000s. First occupancies are slated for late 2027.

Discovery Centre:  1704 Government St. in Penticton and #114, 10768 Whalley Blvd. in Surrey

Hours:  Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments required in the Surrey location.

Sales phone: 604-337-2598.

Website: nikola.theinnovationdistrict.ca

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