Mission Group’s six-storey condominium community in Kelowna, B.C., Alma on Abbott, is following one significant trend and bucking another according to its developer.

Overlooking Kelowna’s Lake Okanagan, the 84-unit condominium development offers layouts from one to three bedrooms and is designed to accommodate work-from-home residents with a selection of den units.

However, Mission Group CEO Jonathan Friesen told RENX Homes Alma on Abbott has attracted a different mix of buyers than other recent projects in the region – its appeal seems to be mainly with local residents.

“If we do a good job, our customers will experience no problems with their home. It will be a source of pride, it will build wealth for them in the long-run, and they’ll be happier for it. Their families will be happier, there will be less stress in their lives,” Friesen said.

Slated for construction in the spring of 2024, Alma on Abbott is one of the few opportunities for multifamily living along Abbott St.

The project is expected to take 18 months after construction begins, which could happen in the spring depending on sales.

Mission is a Kelowna-based builder and developer of residential and commercial buildings that primarily services the Okanagan region. It is known for its downtown Kelowna high-rise developments including the 20-storey Ella condo.

The Alma on Abbott condo

Mission owned the land for almost two years prior to developing Alma on Abbott, which is fully permitted.

Unlike most high-end condos over the past two years that have drawn most interest from Vancouver-based buyers, Alma on Abbott flips this trend on its head. More than half of its interested parties are locals, about 15 per cent are from other Canadian locales, and the remainder are from Vancouver.

Though Kelowna’s largest-growing demographic is working-class professionals in the prime of their careers with families, Friesen said Alma on Abbott will likely house many residents in active or early retirement seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of downtown living.

The units will be available in a variety of layouts and pricing ranges:

• 10 studio units, which will start at $300,000;
• 24 one-bedroom and one-bedroom-plus-den units starting at $500,000;
• 40 two-bedroom and two-bedroom-plus-den units from $600,000; and
• three three-bedroom townhomes, plus 10 three-bedroom and three-bedroom-plus-den units in the $1 million range.

The amenities area on the second level of the parkade will host a community garden and an outdoor deck where residents can hold BBQs and enjoy lake views. An indoor gym is planned as well.

Pandosy Waterfront Park is a block away, with a park, restaurants and shops within walking distance.

Kelowna offers a regional hospital a five-minute drive from the property, Kelowna International Airport, a University of British Columbia Okanagan campus and Okanagan College.

Newcomers to Kelowna see the “lived experience is less intense, it’s more open, you have more outdoor opportunities, you still have a lot of that quaint, small town feel but to experience none of the inconveniences of living in a small town,” Friesen said.

Fostering wellness and work-from-home

With professionals making their homes in Kelowna because of its work-life balance, Mission aims to equip Alma on Abbott with units designed for both productivity and comfort.

“We think that our homes are always generous enough that anybody can open up a laptop either on a sofa or put in a desk in a nook in a den, or a spare bedroom,” Friesen said.

Den units are expected to be popular because of the work-from-home trend. Residents in a two-bedroom, or two-bedroom-plus-den unit could also create a home office in the spare bedroom.

Though Mission does not have data on how many prospective residents are working from home, Friesen said Mission’s sales team found many out-of-towners with an interest in Alma on Abbott do work under that model.

Kelowna’s housing market rising from the ashes

Friesen said Kelowna’s real estate market is seeing “enormous pent-up demand that’s building” as the fastest-growing municipality in Canada. Even wildfires that swept across portions of B.C. this summer, including the Kelowna region, have not stifled demand.

When the wildfires were active, Mission saw cancellations of its preview program at Alma. But since the fires have abated, Mission is seeing a resurgence in interest.

Friesen recalled that customers also returned to the Kelowna housing market after a wildfire in 2003.

He said potential buyers realize the cyclical nature of natural disasters and real estate booms tend to happen in the wake of these incidents. He also noted the impact of the wildfires was minimal in the area of Kelowna where Alma on Abbott will be located.

Mission’s other developments

The company is heavily invested in the area including a major Kelowna mixed-use project named Bernard Block. This includes the 34-storey Bertram condo tower, the 26-storey Brooklyn condo tower and a downtown office tower named The Block, where Mission will move its offices.

The 17-storey The Block office building will have 110,000 square feet expected to be ready for delivery in November. Daycare facilities, pet-friendly workspaces and electric-vehicle chargers are included in the amenities package.

Brooklyn is fully occupied, while Bertram is sold out and slated for occupancy in September or October of 2024.

Mission has also gone to market with the final phase of its three-tower its 261-unit Aqua Waterfront Village, which offers configurations ranging from one-bedroom to three-bedroom-plus-den units, as well as lakehouses and penthouses.

It is also in active development on 346 Lawrence, a high-rise Friesen said will be roughly 40-storeys with close to 300 units, consisting of mostly two-bedroom units with some one-bedroom, one-bedroom-plus-den and studio units, crowned by a penthouse floor.