Kamloops Community Land Trust marks first major project at former Northbridge Hotel site

Construction is in full swing at 377 Tranquille Road, the first major project for the Kamloops Community Land Trust. The six-storey, 85-unit rental building will replace the former Northbridge Hotel, which was demolished two years ago.

“This is our first demonstration project and it shows that the Kamloops Community Land Trust works to deliver attainable housing in Kamloops,” O’Leary added, noting the project is currently about three weeks ahead of schedule.

Earthworks began in March of this year and people are expected to begin moving in by November 2027. The development will include a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. As it’s part of the BC Builds initiative, 17 units of those units will be offered at 20 per cent below-market rent.

“Community land trusts are set up so they actually hold the land as a community benefit and a community asset for future generations,” O’Leary said. “This guarantees affordability into the future and the Kamloops Community Land Trust will continue to deliver for the next number of decades.”

Kamloops-based Arpa Investments is leading the construction effort with the majority of funding coming from the province. Arpa will own and manage the approximately 7,600 square feet of ground floor commercial space, while the Kamloops Community Land Trust will manage the rental units.

The project dates back to 2021 when the City of Kamloops bought the Tranquille Road property and the adjacent Campbell Avenue property for $7.1 million. That Campbell Avenue property is now home to The Confluence, a six-storey, 80-unit affordable housing building which opened last month.

“This was a tremendous purchase and it will make a substantial difference,” Kamloops councillor Katie Neustaeter said. “We see the realization of that [decision to buy the land] happening now and it is significant.”

“When we talk about that missing middle – that gap – that exists in housing and how people move from secure housing in a lifestyle of unhoused. That is because we are missing projects like this.”

O’Leary said the city’s purchase “helped address a problem site that was well-known for many years.” At the time of the sale, the Tranquille Road site was operating with 55 units of long-term, single-room occupancy housing.

“The building had significant maintenance, management, health safety issues and social issues,” a statement from the City of Kamloops said.

Added O’Leary, “Converting that into this big redevelopment helps address a major issue facing all communities, which is attainable housing. It really is achieving a lot as far as the redevelopment and reshaping of the North Shore.”

O’Leary said the Kamloops Community Land Trust is actively working to acquire more land to expand its portfolio across the city. No details are publicly available yet, but he noted the goal is to address needs across the entire community.

“We need new tools to tackle affordable housing,” he said. “Everything that has happened to date for the last 20 to 30 years has really not made any measurable difference to the average person.”

“Land trusts have been successfully delivering affordable housing in some of the toughest real estate markets on the planet for over seven decades and we’re really excited to bring this model to Kamloops.”

by Victor Kaisar

Kamloops Community Land Trust marks first major project at former Northbridge Hotel site

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