For the fourth straight year, the city of Kamloops has set a record for construction activity.
Through the first nine months of the year, the city has seen $347.5 million in issued construction permits after $122.6 million in issued permits in September. Those numbers were largely due to a single $94.5 million permit for the Royal Inland Hospital Patient Care Tower project.
President of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Tyson Andrykew says even if you set that project aside, the level of investment this year in Kamloops is encouraging.
“It’s certainly a good sign that people are continuing to take on bigger projects, to invest not only in residential but also in commercial enhancements or new builds. So it’s really promising,” Andrykew said.
“In the grand scheme of things, this is how we build our tax base, diversify our tax base a little. And ultimately, hopefully, alleviate the tax implications on some of the other sectors, like our small businesses.”
Meanwhile, the city’s Building and Engineering Development Manager says it is possible that the massive $94.5 million permit for the RIH Patient Care Tower is likely the largest ever permit issued in the city’s history.
Jason Dixon says the patient care tower project is the kind of project that doesn’t come along in a city very often.
“A huge project and I think we’re lucky to be able to participate and be in a project of that scope. Its exciting just that way but for the community as a whole its a community project,” he said.
Construction on the $417-million Patient Care Tower is expected to be complete in 2022. Dixon isn’t expecting any more permits to be issued for the project.
“Not for the building itself. My understanding is that there will be some other permits for work in and around the hospital coming over the next few years, but for the Patient Care Tower as we see taking shape, that would be the last permit,” he added.
In addition to that RIH permit last month, there was another $25 million in residential permits issued in September – with two big permits for multi-family projects with three or more units.
“One is a 39 unit apartment out at the Dunes in Westsyde. That’s a $9.9 million project,” Dixon noted. “And then the other is a 49-unit apartment building at 955 West Victoria Street, so the Mission Hill site, and that was a $6.5 million project.”
Last year, Kamloops hit a record construction value of $288 million. It took until Dec. 31 to break the old 2018 record of $285 million. Before that, in 2017, the construction value was a record $224 million.
– with files from Colton Davies
