Kamloops is amazing right now with all of the varied development, it is very good to see since it will also be a CMA in the next census (along with Nanaimo I believe)

Ya, sounds like Nanaimo will be too.

A few updates from Aberdeen on the south side of town, up on the hill.

A new hotel. Not sure what brand it will be.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d623e15e_b.jpgAberdeen by , on Flickr

This is across the street from the hotel. Not sure what they're building but it's right in the middle of the freeway cloverleaf.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d623e15e_b.jpgAberdeen by , on Flickr

Much like the Kelowna post I just read, Aberdeen mall is undergoing a reno from Sears closing. 120,000 sqft is getting converted into mall space instead of 1 big department store.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d623e15e_b.jpgAberdeen by , on Flickr

RIH surgical tower May 3

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6164f0d3_b.jpg1 by , on Flickr

February

https://live.staticflickr.com/4854/3...2f1f4564_b.jpgIMG_2708 by , on Flickr

There seems to be a lot of city works projects going on around the city as well. No matter where you go it seems like you're stuck in traffic for some type of road work. The largest of them is the West Victoria Street project that is the largest capital project ever done in Kamloops. It's approx. 5 blocks of utility replacement/upgrade and beautification from the Overlanders bridge to BCLC HQ. Oldest part of town and probably reason for the high cost.

Found this cool picture that kinda shows where it is. Runs from the bottom of the picture, to the first black office building center right. The bottom of the picture is the onramp to the bridge.

photo credit to Kelly Funk Photography
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8eda07ae_b.jpg1 by , on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1fa7d3f9_h.jpg1 by , on Flickr

The entire stretch is an eyesore. Upgrades will make a big difference when coming into the city centre from the North Shore. The empty lot is where the 100 million dollar BCLC HQ was going to go. NDP has scrapped this due to the large price tag. Local politicians are still fighting for it tho and will probably get built under a different government.

A couple of developments on the North Shore.

5 storey mixed-use development at 742 Tranquille Rd
https://www.kamloopsmatters.com/loca...-space-1441848

$40 million investment on the North Shore with a new housing development, Daycare, Tim Hortons, new home for the Kamloops Search and Rescue, and the Provincial Search Dog Association's new home.
https://www.kamloopsmatters.com/loca...cement-1443726

Tower crane going up downtown at RIH surgical tower.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...51724d1b_h.jpgRih by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ad3be930_h.jpgRih by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

2 more apartment buildings announced for TRU. These will complete the 1st phase of The Reach https://reachkamloops.com/

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f3600e14_b.jpgTru by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

Pictures from around TRU

First Two buildings of the the Reach Community on Campus

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8faebd6e_z.jpgPIC1 by Thomas Johansen, on Flickr

[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d9516082_z.jpgPic1.5 by Thomas Johansen, on Flickr[/IMG]

Site prep for next two Kelson buildings at the Reach

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0273518f_z.jpgPic2 by Thomas Johansen, on Flickr

New Nursing building is coming along.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a69f541d_z.jpgPIC3 by Thomas Johansen, on Flickr

McGill Ridge apartment buildings. The first of 5 I believe.

[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...06b90a32_z.jpgPIC4 by Thomas Johansen, on Flickr[/IMG]

Haven't been up to TRU since a lot of those were just holes in the ground. Thanks for posting. Will be interesting to see what the 2nd phase brings to the corner of McGill & Summit.

Another crane went up at the hospital expansion.

Building will be going up pretty much in the middle of the 2 cranes from this angle.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f9965a78_c.jpgUntitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

Looking up 3rd Ave
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e67489ee_h.jpgUntitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

Update from a lunch break walk just around the downtown.

Victory Place
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...065ec0f4_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

315 St. Paul street. People look like they've moved in. This building look a little better since they painted it.... but still not a fan, better than a parking lot tho.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...03599652_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f899f34e_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...460a2f65_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

Completed art project on Lansdowne Street. Looks better in person seeing the water pucks move.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...280b15b0_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

Still digging at the surgical tower.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c0d5df07_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

Marquess on Lorne in the distance. Didn't walk down but the crane is up and they're forming past grade. Not much activity at the apartment to the right.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0b903414_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c8f35529_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

New Delta hotel now fully open.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f64370a3_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]


Lightwell building now at grade.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e37ff7cf_h.jpgJuly by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152832480@N05/]

Good update. Thanks.

We're going to be up at our place at Bridge lake for 7 or 8 days starting next week, and I'll need to make a day trip down to Kamloops to pick up some supplies for my kitchen reno. I thought while we're down there we'd get dinner, can you suggest a few good restaurants in town to check out ? thanks!

For sure. Still kinda new to town but we eat out a lot and always checking out places. If you're uptown getting supplies and don't want to go downtown, some good places in Sahali are:

Iron Road Brewing https://www.ironroadbrewing.ca/ No patio, good beer, cheap tacos.

Lucky's https://www.luckyskamloops.com/ No patio, great food but not the healthiest haha.

Right next door is Be TEASed https://beteased.com/ really good healthy food. No booze tho :(

Bold Pizzeria http://www.boldpizzeria.com/ Lots of parking if you have a trailer, wood fired pizza, there's a patio and licensed but not an extensive drink menu.

Also up in Sahali there's all the usual suspects: Browns Social House, Mr. Mikes, Earls, etc. Great places but you can get that anywhere.

Some good spots downtown:

Mittz Kitchen https://mittzkitchen.com/ Great spot! Patio on Victoria Street and good food.

Commodore Grand Café https://www.commodorekamloops.com/ On Victoria Street. Patio and good food. Place turns to a club later in the evening so if eating late I wouldn't go here.

Forno on 5th https://forno-on-5th.business.site/ This is my new favorite downtown. Great scotch menu, small patio, good food. Not on Victoria Street tho so not the best people watching.

The Noble Pig http://www.thenoblepig.ca/ Can't go wrong with this place. Huge patio on Victoria Street. Good food and drink.

^ great list.. thanks. We’re headed up from the Kootenays to the Cariboo tomorrow, We’ll be sure to check at least one of those out when we head back down to Kamloops in a few days.

Couple updates from projects on the North Shore.

Just completed Station on Tranquille. Mixed-use with 2 levels commercial. A new brewery opening on the corner and United way and TRU filling up the rest.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...48227183_h.jpgNorthshoresept

Probably the biggest eyesore in the city finally got demolished. A 5 storey mixed-use building is going up in its place.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1308cec0_b.jpg[url=https://flic.kr/p/2hcuprN]Northshoresept

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ffab7ff4_b.jpgNorthshoresept by , on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2d6182f8_b.jpgNorthshoresept by , on Flickr

The first building at the Spirit Square development is currently under construction. They just released sales for the second building that's breaking ground this fall. Both mixed-use with commercial on the first floor.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d315c3ec_b.jpgNorthshoresept by , on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ce9a1d44_b.jpgNorthshoresept by , on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...812f8ecf_b.jpgNorthshoresept by , on Flickr

I worked on the mechanical design of that hotel, the project name was Alpine Hotel. I rode through Kamloops early last month and noticed not much has changed since then. The owner of the hotel is friends with the owner of Ashley's Furniture.

When I drove by a couple weeks ago it was branded 'Hue Hotel'. Looks to be like a boutique style hotel.


Just announced another hotel for that area a couple blocks away and pretty much across the street from an existing Four Points Hotel.

Rendering of the proposed hotel. Nothing special but it's up on the hill so the views will be amazing and a nice infill on a current parking lot. Curious to know what restaurant ends up going in. This is the same company building the Hyatt Place hotel in Prince George.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...dc0e215f_b.jpgFour points by , on Flickr

Downtown:

Victory 200 Block Battle Street - looks to be framed in now. I'm a fan of this building. It's up on a hill so it feels taller than 6 floors and I like how they stepped each floor back instead of just stacking them. The grade changes almost 2 floors from left side of the building to right.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8b02d542_h.jpgDT by , on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...df44bd51_h.jpgDT by , on Flickr

5th & St. Paul Street - Currently a dirt parking lot.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...64439e7a_b.jpgDT by , on Flickr
Proposed building
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...016b48b0_b.jpgDT by , on Flickr

1021 McGill Development
 

New Development at 1021 McGill Road. Nice addition to the corridor.

Full rezoning application here: https://kamloops.civicweb.net/docume...F6C786E5C1747C

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4a00071f_z.jpgUntitled by Thomas Johansen, on Flickr

So that's what's going in on that site. I was curious. Plans look like there'll be another building on that site after that one. Pretty cool how much construction is going on in and around TRU right now.