The BC Liberals would revive plans to replace the BLC headquarters in Kamloops, according to the Kamloops-South Thompson candidate.

The headquarters is within Todd Stone’s riding, and he says his party had always planned to replace the building before it was scrapped in January of 2019 by the NDP government.

When asked by NL News, he says that commitment remains intact.

“The reality is, the building that houses the BCLC staff today, has a shelf life that’s running out. Working conditions in that building are deplorable, in many parts of the building. And if we want to grow the workforce here in Kamloops, they’re going to need the additional space to be able to do that.”

Stone says most staff at BCLC are still working from home, but he says workers will go back eventually and the headquarter replacement project still needs to happen.

“Hopefully not much more than a year from now, but it could be a little bit longer than that, where people eventually gravitate back to the workplace. We need to make sure the men and women who work so hard at BCLC, that they actually have a first-class office building to work in. And our government would make sure that was the case.”

BCLC employs about 450 in Kamloops. Its headquarter building and parkade were built in 1964.

Then-CEO Jim Lightbody cited “new information” of the cost growing to more than $100 million as a main reason why, and also says the building is well maintained.

A report called (BCLC) Kamloops Head Office Needs Assessment says the building is in good condition and has useful life remaining, but it also says the replacement would cost more than $60 million dollars; it makes no mention of a cost growing to more than $100 million .