When a 22-acre parcel of land off of Boucherie Road in West Kelowna came up for sale in November of 2015, Edmonton-based company Gasland Properties took notice.
It was a unique, water-front piece of land that was home to an RV campground, a Christmas tree farm and some farm animals. Unlike a lot of properties on Okanagan Lake that are built into a hillside, the topography of the land was such that it was fairly flat.
Gasland Properties saw the potential and jumped at the chance to move from its traditional commercial building operations into residential, building Paradise Estates, a high-end, 21-home resort, one home of which is part of the popular VGH Millionaire Lottery in Vancouver.
It’s the only home in the Interior that is part of the lottery which also includes homes in South Surrey, Vancouver, Squamish and Vancouver Island.
“The elevation of the land is quite unique,” said Ken Nichols, Paradise Estates president. “Most properties (on Okanagan Lake) have a fair amount of elevation challenges so to build you are on the side of mountain. But we are on a relatively flat piece of ground so people that are interested in this kind of living won’t have to be scaling stairs. This property is extremely unique. You could probably look up and down the lake and find something similar but not with all these features.”
Located just 15 minutes from downtown Kelowna, homes in Paradise Estates are 3,811 square feet and range between $3 and $4 million in price. The homes are uniquely built using concrete and steel-frame construction, the same as what you would see in commercial buildings.
The use of steel-framing gives the homes longevity and also means they use less wood, better for the environment, said Nichols.
The three-storey homes feature many amenities inside and out, from a temperature-controlled wine room to private boat slips on Okanagan Lake. Inside there is an elevator that leads to a roof-top patio where you will find a hot-tub as well as misters to cool down in the summer and a natural gas fire place to warm in the winter.
The resort also features a large common area with a 50-foot pool and a water slide. A putting and chipping golf green surrounds a communal fire-pit and all pathways through the community lead out to a sandy beach and 400 feet of water-front.
Fifteen of the property’s 22-acres are in the Agriculture Land Commission, so the company has built a vineyard on site and also made improvements to nearby roads, allowing for better access, as part of the construction process.
While the first home-owners have now moved into their luxury home, the resort is about three-quarters complete. Being part of the VGH Millionaire Lottery is a feather in the cap for the company and its first residential build.
“First and foremost it’s an honour to be asked (to be part of the lottery),” said Nichols. “I know they don’t choose their properties lightly. For us, clearly we hope the winner of the lottery chooses our home. We think it’s an outstanding product and great value and it will be part of their family for generations. In the end we’re happy about the exposure it gives us and hopefully if someone doesn’t win the lottery they may still come and have a closer look.”
The VGH Millionaire Lottery supports the Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital Foundation. The winner will choose from seven grand prize home package options and prizes.
There are two early bird prizes (worth over $250,000). The sales deadline is midnight on Christmas Eve for two prizes worth over $125,000 each. The final sales deadline to purchase tickets is Jan. 12, 2018. Along with the grand prizes there are over 3,000 prizes to win. Find out more at millionairelottery.com.
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