Kamloops residents who are interested in learning more about the Build Kamloops initiative can do so at an open house at Kelson Hall on St. Paul Street tonight, July 9.

Communications Manager Kristen Rodrigue says she’s hoping for a good turnout, telling Radio NL while there won’t be a formal presentation, people will be able to ask questions of city staff and council.

“It’s an opportunity for residents to really learn about what the facilities are that we are building, how they were prioritized, how we came up with them and then of course the Alternative Approvals Process [AAP], which is what a lot of people have questions on now,” Rodrigue said.

“We’ll also have information there around how this will be financed, what the $25 increase per household per year means, and how we came to that.”

Rodrigue says people can come and go as they please between 5 p.m. and 7 pm, or find more information about Build Kamloops on the City of Kamloops’ Let’s Talk Page if they’re not able to attend.

“We decided not to do a presentation because people are coming into it with different levels of education as to what it is,” she said, on NL Newsday.

“It’s not like a you have to be there at 5 o’clock to hear the presentation. It’s come and go within those two hours, get your questions answered, and hopefully leave a little bit more information about what we’re trying to do there.”

The open house comes two weeks after the City released details about the first two projects that are part of Build Kamloops – the Centre for the Arts downtown and a four-sheet ice arena in Dufferin.

The two facilities are expected to cost around $294 million – $154 million for the Centre for the Arts and $140 million for the ice complex.

The city expected to borrow up to $275 million to pay for those projects – pending approval from eligible voters  – with $10 million of that amount earmarked for “future development and design work for other Build Kamloops initiatives.”

“The AAP process has not opened yet. There will be notification before that 30 day window opens,” Rodrigue said of the City’s plan to ask for approval to borrow money. “We’re not trying to sneak it though in the middle of summer or anything like that.”

“It has the same oversight and transparency requirements as a referendum. Everything goes to the province, everything is published the same way. It’s all under the same section of the Community Charter.”

A Build Kamloops project timeline released by the City shows that barring any significant setbacks, construction on the Centre for the Arts could begin next year, with construction on the multiplex getting underway in 2026.

If that happens, both facilities are expected to be open by the end of this decade.

Build Kamloops also includes a new leisure pool on the North Shore, a large curling club facility to accommodate the consolidation of the two curling clubs, new indoor field space, and a new all-ages community centre.

It may also include housing in some of those facilities, if it is found to be feasible.

The initiative also includes a trio of smaller projects – a new seniors community centre in North Kamloops, a renovated indoor soccer dome, and new daycare spaces near McDonald Park.