Kelson Group has released plans for a proposed $140 million multi-residential development coming soon to Kamloops, B.C. The plans include a 22-storey and 18-storey tower, three 4 to 5-storey apartment buildings, and six townhomes.

The land area exceeds 150,000 square feet (about 3.5 acres) and the current design concept has 445,000 square feet of residential space, or roughly 435 units. Currently, the expectation is that up to 60 per cent of the housing will be market condos and the balance rental suites. Interest from the community will determine the final allocation.

“Our team has been working for a while on this project,” said Jason Fawcett, President of Kelson Group. “We recently met with the City’s development services department to share our plans to ensure they align with the City’s goals of livability and walkability, not only for potential new residents, but for those who work, visit, or live in our downtown area. The plans aren’t fully confirmed as we are seeking our community’s feedback to help us make this a signature development in Kamloops’ downtown core.”

Architects and landscape designers have created an overall concept of the development and were able to add in many elements to ensure accessibility while also providing important green spaces for the residents of City Gardens.

“The name City Gardens has always been the foundation of our design because it captures our vision of a vibrant urban environment enhanced with green spaces and beautiful landscaping,” said Ron Fawcett, Founder & Executive Director of Kelson Group and the driving force behind the project. “This design concept brings the best of both worlds into one living space and will be a jewel in the downtown core.”

“We are very pleased with where we are today with the design,” he added. “We are looking forward to hearing back from the public, and depending on the interest, we would then move forward and apply for the development permit.”

To build out the vision of City Gardens, the group is discussing the purchase of a portion of Nicola Street and a laneway between Nicola and Battle Streets, anticipating they would cover the costs to relocate civic infrastructure, like water and sewer.

Plans for the development also include:

• Up to 600 underground parking stalls over three levels below surface
• Social gathering spaces like outdoor kitchens, lounge seating, and workout stations
• A linear park with bench seating and walking paths
• Lush plantings with a terrace garden, water features, and Zen garden
• Amphitheatre, dog run area, and a natural play park area

“We have thought a lot about every aspect of the development,” said Fawcett. “We are also mindful that some of the buildings in the area we need to remove have some character aspects to them. We will work to ensure some of the unique elements of these buildings can be used in our new builds, similar to what we did with our Peterson Landing apartments on Summit Drive, donating wood and other features from the old building that once occupied that space. We’ll be looking to the community too for some of their creative solutions they would like to offer as a part of our consultation.”

To find out more about the project and to provide feedback, visit: www.kelsondowntownproject.ca