CITY – Council gives green light for historic homes to give way to towers
Bulman house on Battle Street. (Image: Mel Rothenburger.)
Kamloops council gave the green light today (Dec. 14, 2021) to the largest residential development permit in the city’s history, one that will see the destruction of an entire square block of heritage homes.
The permit is for the 525-unit, multi-family City Gardens development comprising two high-rise buildings (24 storeys and 20 storeys) and four mid-rise buildings (each six storeys). The development site is located downtown on Battle Street and Nicola Street between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue.
“It’s the largest and highest value residential development permit ever issued,” said Eric Beach, the City’s planning and development supervisor.
“The value of the development is anticipated to be over $200 million.”
A City news release stated the development, which will be undertaken by the Kelson Group, fits with KAMPLAN and “supports infill development to efficiently utilize existing municipal infrastructure and improved connectivity, densification, housing diversity, and economic resiliency.
“The project also supports KAMPLAN’s objective for a more compact urban form by adding townhouse-style multi-family and mid- and high-rise multi-family development and including units suitable for a variety of family sizes.”
The units contain a mix of one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units, some of which will be sold as market strata units and others being operated as rental units, with commercial space planned for the ground floor of the two high-rise towers.
An underground parking structure will contain over 800 parking spaces, including space for bicycle parking, scooter parking, and electric charging stations. The site’s outdoor space will contain playground equipment and a dog park among green space and pedestrian walkways.
Construction is set to begin in spring 2022 with a phased approach and is anticipated to be complete in 2028.
Among the 20 historic homes that will be bulldozed are two that are on the City’s list of significant heritage structures.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Dear ex-mayor and current armchair one:
I don’t really want to bore myself excessively to watch it online hence would you be so kind as to recapitulate the main points of the heated discussion which certainly took place amongst councillors and current mayor prior to this historic and unprecedented decision?