Fixing historic hostel building too expensive, says CMHA

Posted on August 21, 2014 in City // 4 Comments

NEWS — The historic Kamloops Federal Building at 207 Victoria St. is too expensive to repurpose and will go back on the market in September unless somebody comes up with a plan.

Former Federal Building.

The Kamloops Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association had hoped to turn the building into a community centre but a City-funded feasibility study concluded it would cost about $727,000 to renew it and that’s too much, says CMHA office manager Shelly Trudeau.

The CMHA opened a 30-day period Thursday to receive offers from non-profits, businesses and heritage and conservancy groups interested in renewing and repurposing the building.

“On Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, CMHA Kamloops will be putting the building back on the market, and the Branch will be open to offers.”

The CMHA bought the building, also known as the former Men’s Christian Hostel, for a dollar in 2010. It had planned to sell it for a dollar to the United Way, which would then transform it into a “centre for community collaboration.”

City council vote 5-3 in early July to pay for the $5,000 feasibility study.

“Unfortunately, this kind of investment is beyond the reach of the CMHA Kamloops Branch and the United Way at this time, given its ongoing commitment to delivery of local mental health services and supports,” Trudeau said of the resulting estimate.

The study included cleanup, upgrades to the roof, plumbing and electrical systems and other repairs.

Christian Men's Hostel

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4 Comments on Fixing historic hostel building too expensive, says CMHA

Grouchy1 // August 22, 2014 at 10:15 AM // Reply

So, I’m a little confused by some of the statements in this story. CMHA bought the building for a buck. Now they are going to put it on the market. What is not clear to me, is are they only asking a buck for it, or are they trying to get real money for the property ?

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- Mel Rothenburger // August 22, 2014 at 3:02 PM // Reply
  
  I’m hoping to get a little more information on specifics but, yes, the building will be going on the market on the basis of fair market value. However, the CMHA says it is simply trying to recoup its losses on repairs, building code improvements and maintenance of the building over the years it has owned it.
  
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  - Grouchy1 // August 22, 2014 at 8:50 PM //
    
    Thanks for the info Mel.
    
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LAWRENCE BEATON // August 21, 2014 at 2:52 PM // Reply

It is unfortunate that Kamloops does not have an area in the city to place historical buildings. Buy the building, lift it from its foundations and move to new site, shame to have it torn down. It is a beautiful building, at least from the outside. If the city wants to tear buildings down, how about the two relics on Mission Hill that were never completed. Now that is a eye-sore for people visiting our fair city. So what is the first thing that we see coming around the hair-pin on Summit, the two relics, what do we first see when we come around the bend at the bottom of the hill, the two relics. All of which takes away from the beautiful high rise that is also on Mission Hill. Imagine that you live in Power’s Subdivision overlooking the same incomplete buildings, it is not as if they have been there a short time.

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