Attainable housing development on high-profile Tranquille lot could break ground this summer, City of Kamloops says

Photo: Castanet

Crews worked last spring to tear down the former Northbridge Hotel building at 377 Tranquille Rd.

An attainable market housing development planned for a high-profile Tranquille Road property could be breaking ground this summer, according to the City of Kamloops.

David Freeman, assistant director for the city’s development, engineering and sustainability division, provided an update on the project at 377 Tranquille Rd., the site of the former Northbridge Hotel, during the Jan. 14 council meeting.

He noted information on this project was being sent to Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, who had sent a December letter asking for an update on the project in light of the city missing its provincially mandated housing targets.

“We look to see breaking of ground most likely July or August this year, with an anticipated completion in Q1 [the first quarter] of 2027,” Freeman told council.

The city-owned Tranquille Road property was listed on the provincial BC Builds site, a database that matches landowners with developers and offers financial incentives to spur home construction for middle-income residents. The property will be transferred to the Kamloops Community Land Trust Foundation, a non-profit aimed at providing and preserving local attainable housing.

This fall, the city announced North Shore development firm Arpa Investments had been selected to build the housing development.

Freeman said they are anticipating to reach the development permit stage in March, at which point council will see conceptual drawings of the site.

“We believe it will be between 85 and 90 units,” he said, adding this includes a mix of studio, one, two and three bedroom suites.

As per the BC Builds program, 20 per cent of these units must be rented at 20 per cent below-market value for a minimum of 35 years.

Freeman said he is anticipating the project will reach the building permit stage in July, after which it will break ground.

In his letter, Kahlon had also asked the city to provide an update on its Community Land Trust.

Freeman told council that seven properties were identified that could potentially be transferred to the land trust.

He noted land discussions are confidential, and take place in closed council meetings.

“The lands have been identified. We’re looking at suitable development for those properties. It’ll be up to the trust to develop business cases to present to council, to convince you to transfer that land to them,” Freeman said.

He said the Kamloops Community Land Trust — which he said was the first of its kind in Canada — has been laying the groundwork for its future activities by developing policies and adopting a code of conduct.

Freeman said a response has been drafted to send to Kahlon in response to the minister’s request.

Coun. Margot Middleton said Kahlon’s letter, which asked for additional reports in the wake of the city’s missed housing targets, was “not a surprise.”

“It’s just an acknowledgement that we have made some progress, but not as much as perhaps what was hoped — with lots of very valid reasons as to why we did not meet the target,” Middleton said.

In his letter, Kahlon said while the city didn’t meet its first year of housing targets, set by the ministry in 2023, he was encouraged at the number of new units in the development pipeline.

The city’s housing target was set at 679 new units, and it issued occupancy permits for a total of 449 units.

The five-year housing target for Kamloops is 4,236 units of housing. By year two, the city will need to have added 735 new homes, 819 in year three, 931 in year four and 1,072 in year five.

As per Kahlon’s request, the city will be submitting interim housing progress reports to the province on Jan. 15, April 15 and July 15.