- 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害羞草研究所檚 small-town history.

He sees 450 Parc, a six-storey condo building 害羞草研究所� tucked between behemoth development SOPA square and a quaint, treed-in playground 害羞草研究所� that would be just as well-suited to Manhattan as it is to what害羞草研究所檚 become one of Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 most coveted neighbourhoods.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 going to be a mixture of steel accents, brick and limestone,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of what you see in old town Manhattan, when you have both old and new co-existing, that will be here.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檚 unique for the city, but Craig has seen the demand for this kind of high-end housing among his dad害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 a fifth generation builder, but he didn害羞草研究所檛 fall into the family business. Where his predecessors saw deadlines, budgets and other practical matters, he saw shapes and colour, beauty and balance.

害羞草研究所淲hen I was around 19 years old, my dad asked me if I wanted to take over the family business and I was like, 害羞草研究所榳hy would I ever want to do that?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

At the time, he was working in retail in Edmonton and he liked it 害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 business program, so he acquiesced.

害羞草研究所淚t actually went pretty well,害羞草研究所� he said.

He completed some business and marketing programs and came out knowing one thing for sure 害羞草研究所� he didn害羞草研究所檛 want the type of job that would entail getting dirty.

害羞草研究所淚 wanted to wear a suit and tie to work,害羞草研究所� he said, laughing. 害羞草研究所淚 got a job at Western Star (in Kelowna) and worked there for five years.害羞草研究所�

It was at the peak of the company害羞草研究所檚 success, which meant Craig was just a footnote in a huge employee roster.

害羞草研究所淚 realized then I wasn害羞草研究所檛 going to do well in a large corporate environment,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所� the past offered the clearest path to a successful future.

害羞草研究所淚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 害羞草研究所榳ould you consider helping me?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he recalled. 害羞草研究所淭here was dead silence on the other side of the phone and I could tell he was thinking. Then he said, 害羞草研究所榳ell how serious are you?害羞草研究所� I was dirty, cold and tired and I said, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檓 pretty serious.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

And that was it. He stopped floating and found purpose.

Craig害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淚 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,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚 personally sat in the sales centre and sold the units on the weekend and did construction during the week.害羞草研究所�

For several years it was 害羞草研究所渟ink or swim.害羞草研究所�

The project did well and there were more for Craig. In the years that followed, he worked on high-end custom homes. He害羞草研究所檚 created signature homes in the Upper Mission and multifamily dwellings in Penticton and Kelowna. He害羞草研究所檚 weathered a real estate crash and made it out a success.

害羞草研究所淎ll of it has been a huge learning experience,害羞草研究所� he said.

That害羞草研究所檚 not to say he害羞草研究所檚 done. Now, having learned the ropes and honed his craft, Craig sees himself developing as a communicator and as a person.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 not a day that goes by where there害羞草研究所檚 not more to learn,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淵ou make mistakes and learn from it and keep pushing forward害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 been really great to be able to do that.害羞草研究所�

He害羞草研究所檚 done it without compromising who he is. He害羞草研究所檚 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.