Kamloops City Council will gauge public opinion on a proposal for a three-storey building with a restaurant and two residential units on a lot at 520 Lorne Street, next to the historic CN Railway station downtown.

Planning Manager, Eric Beach, says the developer will need a variance permit as the proposal does not have the required number of parking stalls.

“They do have three parking stalls on site, they’re required to have seven,” he said. “Staff do support the variance as it is adjacent to city owned parking lots. Like other developments in the downtown, this one isn’t in the downtown parking exemption area, so you do need to provide your parking.”

The City will collect a cash-in-lieu payment of $24,000 – $6,000 per parking stall – to cut the parking requirement on the property.

In a report to City Council, Beach said the build includes plans for a one-bedroom unit on the second storey, and a three-bedroom unit on the upper third storey. The restaurant itself would be on the first and second floor.

Beach says the developers will try and match the design of the CN Train station – which is currently home to the Twisted Steak restaurant – as closely as possible, noting there are also plans for a seasonal outdoor restaurant patio that would extend into the adjacent pedestrian plaza.

“This would meet the criteria of KamPlan activating that plaza a little but more,” he added. “It doesn’t meet the historic nature as you can see of the plaza however they have tried to incorporate elements like the red brick. This development is more of a modern design compared to what you see at Station Plaza.”

Kamloops Councillor Mike O’Reilly spoke in favour of the development, saying its been a long time coming.

“We know at least 100,000 people are going to be stopping and getting off the train and they’re going to look at this new build instead of a derelict piece of dirt basically, and so I think its a very good welcome sign into Kamloops for the Rocky Mountaineer guests,” he said.

A previous proposal to develop that site into a one-storey office building with a second storey projection in the centre back 2004 fell by the wayside, with the site sitting vacant ever since.

“It’s great to see that this is going to finally come to completion after the better part of two and a half decades,” he added.

Beach says if there are no issues raised with the application for the variance permit, the city will issue at development permit for the project.

There is no word on when the construction will begin.

#Kamloops council has given preliminary approval to a three-storey, mixed-use building next to the historic CN Train Station downtown.

Developer is proposing a restaurant – with a seasonal patio – as well as two residential units. pic.twitter.com/JOCXdZPnn2

— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) April 18, 2023