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Real Estate Boons in Southern British Columbia

Small lakeshore town announces $33.9 million in annual construction

OSOYOOS, BC, June 19 /CNW/ - The South Okanagan town of Osoyoos, known
for its campgrounds and its hot dry summers, is on its way to becoming a
resort destination, with visitor spending projected to double within the next
10 years.
Three developers with lakeshore property are spending $200 million to
build high-end condominium hotels attracting tourists and investors from
across Canada. Conference accommodation, health spas, restaurants and retail
are part of the makeover.
In 2006, the construction value in the small community was recorded at
$33.9 million, up from $3 million in 1999.
"We know summer sun and fun sells itself, this has been our product for
years, and we'll maintain our small town appeal," says Destination Osoyoos
Executive Director Glenn Mandziuk. "But we now know there is a high-yield
visitor who is sophisticated and well traveled. They have investment dollars
to spend and they're looking for an exciting and quality experience. That's
our focus now."
Mayor John Slater says the town is strongly behind the initiative, which
is also supported by Tourism BC and Osoyoos First Nation, owner of spectacular
Nk'Mip Cellars, Canada's first Aboriginal winery.
"We still want to maintain our small town appeal," the Mayor explains.
"We want that family feeling of let's go to grandma's house. It's really
important. We also want to make sure that the development we do is positive."

New resort development includes:

- Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa, built at a cost of more than
$75 million by Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. The first phase of
30 villas and 64 suites, including conference facilities, is adjacent
to the spectacular Nk'Mip Cellars, Canada's first Aboriginal winery.

- Watermark Beach Resort, developed by Osoyoos Shoreline Development
Ltd. at a cost of $65 million, consists of 30 town homes and
123 units, plus 16,000 sq ft of commercial space, on a 4.3 acre
lakeshore site formerly occupied by a fruit packing plant.

- Walnut Beach Resort, developed by Lakeshore Development Corp. is a
three storey complex of 112 units on 3.2 acres, being built at a cost
of $45 million around a half acre landscaped courtyard and pool.

"This won't ever be a big city," says Bellstar Hotels and Resorts Manager
of Real Estate Development Curt Jansen. "I call it the Perfect Storm: limited
land, a great climate, one of the most beautiful settings in Canada, wineries,
golf courses, skiing at Mt. Baldy, and a small town with a lot of character
that has made a decision to stay that way."

Big changes for a small town

Tiny San Joaquin takes novel approach to city improvement.
By Pablo Lopez / The Fresno Bee
06/22/07 04:48:53

SAN JOAQUIN -- The first time the two Fresno State international students laid eyes on the smallest city in Fresno County, they were shocked.

"Wow. There's nothing here," Ashley Sungmin Jung recalled telling Yasuhiro Tabata.

Main Street in San Joaquin is almost devoid of trees. The bank is boarded up. Storefronts look old and tired.

But with the help of the two recent graduates from the other side of the globe, this financially struggling community 25 miles southwest of Fresno has a new vision for the future.

Jung and Tabata have drawn up plans that include a downtown park with a California Spanish-style fountain, storefronts with blue awnings, lots of trees, and places for families to gather or surf the Internet.

The project helped the two earn their bachelor's degrees in interior design -- but at first they were reluctant to get involved, hoping for a chance to work on an airport or a restaurant instead.

After all, this predominantly Hispanic town of 3,870 is a long way -- geographically and culturally -- from where Jung grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and from Tabata's hometown of Saitama near Tokyo.

Their attitude changed once they met City Manager Cruz Ramos, Mayor Amarpreet Dhaliwal and the people who live here and toil in the hot sun in the nearby vineyards and farmland.

"Everyone was so kind, so gentle to us," Tabata said. "It made us feel very good."

And the unusual partnership took hold.

That partnership has its roots in Ramos' efforts to find some way to improve her city on a shoestring budget.

Ramos said San Joaquin suffers from double-digit unemployment and survives on a $760,000 annual budget.

"We have little money to hire consultants," she said. "That's why we reach out to anyone we can."

About a year ago, Ramos called an acquaintance, Fresno architect Art Dyson, to get advice on how to best spend a $62,283 federal grant to improve the downtown facades.

Dyson persuaded his partner, architect Michael Karby, to volunteer his services. Then Dyson turned to professor Pat Hennings, who started the interior design major at California State University, Fresno, in 1970. Dyson is on the university's interior design advisory board.

Hennings recruited her top students -- Jung and Tabata.

"Design to make a difference," she told them.

Interior designers often work with architects to ensure the interior and exterior of a building are compatible, Hennings said. San Joaquin's facade project fits into her curriculum, she said, because "it's about decorative design, not structural design."

Hennings said she chose Jung because he is a computer whiz and worked in London two years as a graphic designer. His father is vice president of a real estate development company in South Korea.

Tabata also knows computers, but his forte is research and photography, Hennings said. His father is a green-tea farmer in Japan.

The students said they chose to attend Fresno State because Hennings is known internationally for her interior design work.

On their first trip to San Joaquin in March, however, they were in disbelief. The vast farmland divided by hot pavement made them want to turn around.

Their culture shock eased once they had lunch at Maria's restaurant on Main Street. Ramos introduced them to residents and explained what the two newcomers were up to. And townsfolk stopped by their table to thank them.

"We appreciate what they did for us," restaurant owner Maria Vasquez said.

Ultimately, Jung and Tabata volunteered more than 300 hours to come up with a plan to give residents hope of keeping their children from leaving this dusty town.

They concentrated on a one-block area of Main Street between Nevada and Colorado avenues. There's a pool hall, a closed bank, vacant lots, two Mexican restaurants, a Mexican bakery, and a few other stores.

They researched the city's history and demographics, took photographs, and talked with residents to learn what they wanted for downtown. Tabata also took a trip to Santa Barbara, where he photographed the downtown's mix of historic adobes, outdoor courtyards and Mediterranean architecture.

After three months of research, they produced a computer-generated color graphic design for Main Street that includes California Spanish-style facades, terra cotta color schemes and a banner that says "Family + Technology."

They proposed a downtown park, tall palm trees and an ice cream parlor. They also put a lot of blue in their design -- blue awnings, blue windows and blue doorways.

"San Joaquin is hot," Jung said. "Blue gives the impression that it's cool."

The students also tried to build on the city's strengths, such as its wireless Internet service, which went online in February. Their plan includes lots of park benches and outdoor patio areas where families can gather. "This will allow children to teach their parents how to use Internet," Jung said.

The students worked closely with Hennings and Karby, who critiqued many drafts of the graphic design until they gave their stamp of approval.

Ramos said the students' ideas fit in perfect with the city's current efforts to fix up downtown. The city is spending $413,000 in federal grants to redesign Main Street and repave it. The project includes putting a fountain in the middle of Main Street.

Turning the students' computer design into reality, however, could take years.

Ramos said the city doesn't own the vacant lots for the proposed downtown park, but she is working on a plan to divvy up the facade grant money to business owners willing to make the students' creation happen.

"In a few years, people won't recognize this place," Ramos said.

Dhaliwal said he's optimistic: "We are going to do it. I feel the stars are lining up in our favor."

Since receiving their bachelor's degrees last month, the two have moved on. Jung now works in Los Angeles. Tabata is in New York. But they promised to return to San Joaquin once the city starts developing their plan.

"This was a beautiful experience," Hennings said. "A globalization of design, a blending of cultures."
The reporter can be reached at plopez@fresnobee.com  or (559) 441-6434.

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