The Hive in downtown Kamloops. (Photo via Invictus Properties)

Starting this summer, downtown Kamloops will be home to a satellite office for the Rocky Mountaineer.

Speaking on the NL Morning News, CEO Dave McKenna says they will have up to 30 people working in their new office space somewhere by July.

“We look forward to making The Hive a home for our reservations and customer service teams in Kamloops,” McKenna added. “With the downtown location and state-of-the-art amenities, The Hive offers an engaging, collaborative, welcoming office space we are looking for.”

McKenna says this moves comes as the Rocky Mountaineer expanded its ‘In Destination’ team in Kamloops.

“That is the group of amazing colleagues that are in on the ground welcoming the guests as they arrive, makings sure that everybody is comfortable in the hotels,”McKenna said. “To better support them, we are actually very proud to be a new tenant at the Hive.”

Just shy of 100,000 thousand Rocky Mountaineer passengers are expected through Kamloops in 2023 when the season gets going in April.

The City of Kamloops is the mid-point overnight stop on two Rocky Mountaineer rail routes – First Passage to the West from Vancouver to Banff and Journey Through the Clouds from Vancouver to Jasper.

Phase one of The Hive nearing Capacity

Developers of the Hive – A&T Project Developments and Invictus Properties – say the building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Lansdowne Street is now 93 per cent leased.

In addition to the Rocky Mountaineer, they say Community Living BC, Mexican chain restaurant Mucho Burrito, and Montreal-based ice cream chain La Diperie have all made long term commitments to Kamloops and The Hive.

“This is an important milestone for The Hive, and we are excited to be partners with these three new users,” Bryan Pilbeam, the Chief Operating Officer at Invictus Properties said.

“With our existing building partners, these three new tenants will contribute to retransforming the corner of 5th and Lansdowne Street into Kamloops’ premier business district – a place to find unparalleled business services and enjoy the very best in culinary and arts.”

These businesses join Urban Systems, McMillan Dubo Law Group, Investors Group Wealth Management, Smile Dentistry, Business Development Bank of Canada, William Wright Commercial Real Estate Services, and Stills Co. Tasting Lounge in the six-storey, 60,000 square foot building.

– With files from Victor Kaisar