Two six-storey apartment buildings proposed for Eighth Street in North Kamloops
A new development proposed for North Kamloops could bring nearly 200 more rental units to the city — including 65 suites earmarked for affordable housing for seniors.
The Pulse on Eighth, a mixed-use development brought forward by Kamloops-based Tri City Canada Inc. and Total Concept Developments, is proposed for a site spanning 1006, 1014, and 1024 Eighth St.
The development site is situated between the North Shore 7-Eleven and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of All Saints.
Shaun Minten of Tri City Canada Inc. said the idea for the development was sparked after the City of Kamloops made some changes to its Official Community Plan impacting that area.
“We were approached by the owners of that property to team up with them to come up with a mixed-use project that would suit the neighbourhood,” Minten said.
The project includes plans for two six-storey buildings. The first building is planned to include 125 market rental suites, ranging in size from studio apartments to two-bedroom units, with commercial space on the ground floor.
The second building would incorporate 65 affordable rental suites for seniors constructed on top of commercial space on the ground floor. The suites would range in size from studio to one-bedroom units.
“Rentals are where the demand is right now,” said Sheila Minten, manager of Total Concept Developments.
She said she hopes the development will also be able to attract new businesses to operate out of the ground floor, helping to revitalize Eighth Street.
“Hopefully we can get some kind of retail or coffee shops or something there that would help enhance the area,” she said.
A building that houses used car dealership Country Auto Sales is located on the site, and the structure will be demolished as part of the development process.
The proposed project would include a single parkade which will service the two buildings.
Minten said developers heard from the property’s immediate neighbours during an open house held in August last year, noting some concerns were raised about potential traffic in the neighbourhood should the development move forward.
“At that time, taking that feedback with the city, we did a traffic study for the area. It generally shows no real extra impact to Seventh [Street] and some of the other areas of concern,” Minten said.
“The traffic engineers feel that Eighth Street is going to support the amount of extra density in the area.”
Another open house is scheduled for Jan. 25 at Country Auto Sales. The event is open to everyone, and residents are invited to attend in order to learn more about the development and submit any feedback to the team.
A development permit application and rezoning application is slated to go before Kamloops city council next week, at which time council will decide if it wants to send the proposal to a public hearing.