Kamloops Council is being asked to approve a proposal that could see the property at 360 Columbia Street next to the Travelodge motel downtown make way for a 12-storey mixed use building.
Development Director Marvin Kwiatkowski says council will be asked to approve a development permit and a change in zoning for the property that used to house Sleepy’s Diner at their July 16 council meeting.
“It’s not a small project,” Kwiatkowski told Radio NL. “Looking at two levels of commercial, so mainly commercial on the lower level and the second level office and a commercial daycare, so 580 square metres, and then ten storeys units of residents with 147 residential units.”
“That is really encouraging and daycare of course everyone is looking to see more daycare. On this particular project, Interior Health is working with the developer in regards to the daycare for Royal Inland Hospital staff so that is encouraging to see as well.”
Kwiatkowski says the applicant is seeking a development permit and a change in zoning for the property, with other permits expected to follow in the months ahead.
“It does not require a public hearing with the new legislation,” Kwiatkowski said. “We just do a mailout really to the property that is under consideration, so that kind of simplifies the process that regard.”
“What we’re changing is called the floor-area ratio, so that is what changing and what requires a site specific rezone.”
Kwiatkowski says the project is eligible for the revitalization tax exemption program, which is meant to incentivize development by offering a break on the increase in municipal property taxes for a period of 10 years.
“There is an independent separate hotel, motel redevelopment RTE and there is a daycare RTE but this is all covered with the City Centre one,” he said. “We don’t combine three together.”
It’s not clear when construction could begin, but Kwiatkowski believes it could be sometime next year when shovels hit the ground, assuming the project is approved by council.
“Typically with a 12 storey building it will take sometime to complete the design so they’ll have to come in for a building permit,” Kwiatkowski said. “I’m guessing it will take a while to get that process through so I would more than likely say next year [when construction can begin].”
“A project of this type takes some time to build. Its not a six month project, its not a one year project, that’s usually a couple of years to get a project of this size actually completed.”