Kelowna

Interior Health is looking to consolidate its Kelowna offices into one space in the downtown core.

Despite speculation the proposed new office space at Doyle and Ellis would be utilized to consolidate regional operations within Interior Health, Sylvia Weir, Director of Business Integration, say that isn't in the works.

"The primary intent was to co-locate services for clients, but when we looked at the site the city had we felt we could put our back office staff there too and try and get a good deal with a developer, a good lease rate for the long term," says Weir.

"Everybody together is the intent."

The facility, when it is completed, would house approximately 1,000 workers.

Along with consolidating all Kelowna operations within one building, the health authority would also save money by not paying for leases in several other, smaller offices scattered around the city.

Weir says it has yet to be determined how large the building would have to be to accommodate all the services provided by IH but says she doesn't anticipate a high rise structure.

"What we do have is a real opportunity because this is such a big lot and has frontage on three sides, I would expect it to be a long, flatter building," says Weir.

"I want to use all of that frontage for street level access for clients. So, I would expect the building to stretch across the entire lot from St. Paul to Ellis."

Before construction can begin, Interior Health will have to complete the sale of the property with the city and find a developer willing to design and construct the building.

Permits would also have to be obtained through the city and approved by council.

Weir says if all goes well she hopes construction could begin in 2013 with a possible opening date sometime in 2015.