Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Anthony Corea

NORTH SHORE

Excitement builds as new developments rise to revamp the Kamloops North Shore

Oct 17, 2024 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS – In recent years, the Kamloops North Shore has been eyed for housing and business redevelopment and a large part of that transition is now taking shape. Several new apartment buildings and commercial spaces are currently under construction along the Tranquille shopping corridor. It’s all part of an effort revamp the North Shore and continue drawing in new residents and businesses to the area.

“We have a number of buildings going up in the next two-ish years,” North Shore Business Improvement Area Executive Director Jeremy Heighton. “By the time we’re done all the way up Eighth Street, we expect about 1,000 residential units on the North Shore. We’ve been working with developers, with the city for about the last five years — really developing the core pieces that underpin our development. The community plan, the neighborhood plans, the active transportation plan — all those types of things are all the precursors to what we’re seeing today.”

Developers both locally and in the province are now involved in building up the North Shore. Arpa Investments has done a number of projects and the company sees even more untapped potential.

“I think what you’re going to see here and what you already are starting to see is an area unlike the rest of Kamloops,” said Arpa’s Joshua Knaak, “where you’ve got commercial on the main floor, residential above, and you have a high level of density that then just directly supports the commercial. Not only is [the North Shore] an attractive place for people to live, but it’s also becoming an increasingly attractive place for people to do business because they have access to so many consumers.”

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One of those businesses is about to open its doors to the North Shore. Stitches and Skeins is a retail store specific to yarn, crochet and knitting. Owner Kayleigh Searle is not only looking forward to the opening but what she says is a bright future ahead for the area.

“Having all these extra developments, meaning more people will be coming down here, and it’ll help definitely influence a lot of the businesses that we have here that I think we’re missing out a lot of what up the hill has,” said Searle. “Especially with the big grocery stores and some of the other big box stores up there. For the North Shore, it’s nice having all these new buildings and businesses and seeing so many new businesses open.”

While the process is still underway, plenty are excited to see what the future holds for the North Shore.