Artist rendition of 340 unit seniors housing complex planned by BC Housing on Glenfair Drive in Kamloops/via BC Housing
BC Housing says it expects to go to Kamloops City Hall in the next few weeks to lay out design plans and hash out other preliminary issues as part of plans to create a major new housing complex for seniors in the city.
The Crown Corporation is planning to build four, six story units – totaling at least 340 apartments – at 1100 Glenfair Drive, just southeast of Royal Inland Hospital.
BC Housing’s Provincial Director of Redevelopment, Sheryl Peters, says this project will replace the 80-unit apartment complex currently on the site.
However, she says their plans for the redevelopment won’t include the low-income seniors currently living there to be relocated.
“Our current tenants have the first right-of-refusal to come back to the new buildings at the same rental arrangement they currently have today,” noted Peters. “The promise to the community is those low-income units will stay in Glenfair. We just need to build new buildings around them.”
Map showing current location of the Glenfair Seniors complex in Kamloops/via Google Maps
The redevelopment will include low-income, moderate-income, and market-rate options.
However, Peters says the final design portion of the project has not been completed yet, meaning there are still opportunities for the public – and those living there – to weigh in.
“We have not yet submitted to city hall. We have not yet submitted this for re-zoning,” Peters said. “We don’t have a shovel in the ground tomorrow. There is some ways to go. It’s not ‘fait accompli,’ meaning design can still be tweaked here or there.”
“We’re not going to demolish the entire site all in on go. We’ll build one building at a time with the effort to keep people on the site as much as possible and then ultimately move them into the new building.”
BC Housing will retain ownership of the project once its completed, and will also assist in the costs associated with moving tenants once construction and completion of the units begins.
“We have a non-profit operator [Interior Community Services] who helps our operations side with BC Housing work with these residents,” said Peters. “With their moves, we will support them in packing costs, utility disconnection/reconnection fees. They will have a choice as to which unit they go to.”
The time timelines for construction, and ultimately completion of the redevelopment, have also not been finalized.
However, Peters says if the municipal and community engagement process progresses well, construction could start the work at the site within the next couple of years.
