- Story by Kathy Michaels Photography by Darren Hull
Craig Mohr looks at the three old houses he bought on Groves Avenue and sees more than the remnants of Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 small-town history.
He sees 450 Parc, a six-storey condo building 香蕉视频直播� tucked between behemoth development SOPA square and a quaint, treed-in playground 香蕉视频直播� that would be just as well-suited to Manhattan as it is to what香蕉视频直播檚 become one of Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 most coveted neighbourhoods.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 going to be a mixture of steel accents, brick and limestone,香蕉视频直播� said Craig, the owner of Vineyard Developments, one day in late spring as he gestured to phantom features of the soon-to-be-built development just off Pandosy Street.
香蕉视频直播淎 lot of what you see in old town Manhattan, when you have both old and new co-existing, that will be here.香蕉视频直播�
The project is going to offer its residents high-end condo living without the shackles of dealing with a large strata.
On each of the six levels, there will be four 1,450-to-1,700-square-foot units. Each will have front to back views. And each will be of penthouse quality. It香蕉视频直播檚 unique for the city, but Craig has seen the demand for this kind of high-end housing among his dad香蕉视频直播檚 friends, and thinks he found just the right place to make his vision come to life.
The development is also the culmination of nearly two decades of work and with its completion, Craig sees a personal turning point.
He香蕉视频直播檚 a fifth generation builder, but he didn香蕉视频直播檛 fall into the family business. Where his predecessors saw deadlines, budgets and other practical matters, he saw shapes and colour, beauty and balance.
香蕉视频直播淲hen I was around 19 years old, my dad asked me if I wanted to take over the family business and I was like, 香蕉视频直播榳hy would I ever want to do that?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
At the time, he was working in retail in Edmonton and he liked it 香蕉视频直播� the money was decent, he felt fulfilled and was having fun. His parents had their concerns, however, and they pushed him to enroll in the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology香蕉视频直播檚 business program, so he acquiesced.
香蕉视频直播淚t actually went pretty well,香蕉视频直播� he said.
He completed some business and marketing programs and came out knowing one thing for sure 香蕉视频直播� he didn香蕉视频直播檛 want the type of job that would entail getting dirty.
香蕉视频直播淚 wanted to wear a suit and tie to work,香蕉视频直播� he said, laughing. 香蕉视频直播淚 got a job at Western Star (in Kelowna) and worked there for five years.香蕉视频直播�
It was at the peak of the company香蕉视频直播檚 success, which meant Craig was just a footnote in a huge employee roster.
香蕉视频直播淚 realized then I wasn香蕉视频直播檛 going to do well in a large corporate environment,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Still young, and with adventure calling his name, he left Kelowna and went to Vancouver for a couple of years and then, when his bills started to outpace his income, he travelled north to work on oil rigs. Two years into that very dirty work, which was 17 years ago, he had an epiphany 香蕉视频直播� the past offered the clearest path to a successful future.
香蕉视频直播淚t was pretty cold and around Christmas and I called my dad. We were having a nice conversation and I said I was thinking of starting a construction company in Kelowna and 香蕉视频直播榳ould you consider helping me?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 he recalled. 香蕉视频直播淭here was dead silence on the other side of the phone and I could tell he was thinking. Then he said, 香蕉视频直播榳ell how serious are you?香蕉视频直播� I was dirty, cold and tired and I said, 香蕉视频直播業香蕉视频直播檓 pretty serious.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
And that was it. He stopped floating and found purpose.
Craig香蕉视频直播檚 dad was helping First Lutheran find a location for its new school and church, and that offered an opportunity for him to start his first multifamily development.
A parcel of land, near the Capital News Centre was designated for townhouses and Craig and his dad took it on as a project.
香蕉视频直播淚 was responsible for most of the work, working with the architect. I priced the development, selected interior design finishes, managed the construction, sold all the units, managed the clients and did the preceding service work,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淚 personally sat in the sales centre and sold the units on the weekend and did construction during the week.香蕉视频直播�
For several years it was 香蕉视频直播渟ink or swim.香蕉视频直播�
The project did well and there were more for Craig. In the years that followed, he worked on high-end custom homes. He香蕉视频直播檚 created signature homes in the Upper Mission and multifamily dwellings in Penticton and Kelowna. He香蕉视频直播檚 weathered a real estate crash and made it out a success.
香蕉视频直播淎ll of it has been a huge learning experience,香蕉视频直播� he said.
That香蕉视频直播檚 not to say he香蕉视频直播檚 done. Now, having learned the ropes and honed his craft, Craig sees himself developing as a communicator and as a person.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 not a day that goes by where there香蕉视频直播檚 not more to learn,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou make mistakes and learn from it and keep pushing forward香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 been really great to be able to do that.香蕉视频直播�
He香蕉视频直播檚 done it without compromising who he is. He香蕉视频直播檚 still someone who sees shapes and colours, beauty and balance. And with his work popping up around the Okanagan, so too can the people who live in the valley.
