At $55 million, its by far the largest building permit ever issued by the city of Vernon. It's been taken out by the Austrian investors behind the Sparkling Hill Resort--a luxury wellness hotel, formerly called the 
Kristall resort, being built next to Predator Ridge Golf Resort. President and CEO Hans Peter Mayr says construction is underway, with an opening set for the winter of 2009. "We will have about 150 rooms, 300 beds. We will have meeting facilities, a great dining area, restaurant, and we'll have a very special and new treatment-wellness spa beauty concept for North America." The total development is expected to cost $100 million, and will have a staff of around 150. Clients will come from Canada, the US, Europe and Asia. Resort chief operating officer Jim Radford says one of the challenges was getting services to the 174 acre site which overlooks Okanagan Lake. "The biggest thing was to get water here, and we have a reservoir which we expanded by 50 percent two years ago. So now there is more fire protection not only for the hotel but for all the neighbors in the Okanagan Landing area.
"We also contributed a half million dollars to the new gravity-sanitary sewer with Predator Ridge and the City, which goes all the way to the main treatment plant." Mayor Wayne Lippert was on hand for the announcement made at the building site. "It's great for Vernon and the area. It shows our economy is still strong and that Hans Peter's company believes in us and sees the potential." Other noteworthy permits granted by the City of Vernon include the BC Transmission Corporation building ($21m), the Vernon Jubilee Hospital addition in 1982 ($21m), the Strand Development ($20m) and the new Tolko building ($16m).
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Don Quixote Note: Budget figures for this permit have increased revenue by $361,114 and this has been included in the 2008 budget.
2008 Building permit revenue is budgeted at $1,553,224 (p.4 2008-2012 Financial Plan - 5.62MB 
) compared to 2007 budget figure of $1,075,000.
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