Front view of Bianca Amor Liquidation Super Centre at 925 Notre Dame Drive, which appears slated for removal/via Google Street View
Self-described as the “Go-To” place for camo, and selling everything from swords to Fruit Pebbles cereal, a discount retailer in the Southgate neighborhood of Kamloops, close to TRU, appears to be — at the very least — on the move.
The building currently occupied by Bianca Amor’s Liquidation Super Centre, located at 925 Notre Dame Drive seems in-line for the wrecking-ball.
The new owner or redevelopment applicant, listed as a ND (925) Properties Ltd on the Development Permit Application going before Kamloops Council on Tuesday, intends to put up a large scale rental apartment building at the site.
When this could take place remains somewhat murky, as does the future of the bargain retailer in Kamloops.
According to the Bianca Amor’s website, updated as of October 16th, 2024, the Kamloops location is still one of 15 retail outlets the company maintains.
However, a recent post by company name-sake, Bianca Amor Wakeford, hints that a broader realignment of their operations may be taking place.
The video detailing the closure of Bianca Amor’s flagship retail location in Calgary was posted on October 19th, 2024.
In March of last year, the company closed one of its locations in Winnipeg, with the stated intent of opening up a smaller location within the city.
An article from the Red Deer Advocate dated January 7th indicates a similar plan in that city, with the Bianca Amor location said to be headed to a different site within Red Deer.
Radio NL has reached out to the company for further information about the Kamloops operation.
Online flyer advertizing swords and knives at Bianca Amor’s locations in Western Canada/via Biancaamor.com
According to the company’s website, Bianca Amor’s Liquidation Super Centre was the brain-child of a then-13 year old Bianca in 1999.
Launched in Calgary, company was able to set up locations a variety of locations in Alberta, including in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge before beginning a Western Canada-wide expansion about a decade ago into Saskatchewan, Manitoba and BC.
Expansion also included an online component through a dot-C-A website, which is no longer functional.
The Notre Dame Drive location in Kamloops opened in the summer of 2018, and took over the building which had been occupied by Wholesale Sports, which shuttered its operations at the end of 2017.
Redevelopment of location for rental units
It’s not expected to be the prettiest of places to live, but it will be accessible.
The proposal going before Kamloops Council on Tuesday is for a 128 unit apartment building, covering 6 storys.
Council is going to have to sign-off on allowing a variance for an extra two floors, as the maximum height in the current zoning is 4 floors.
However, given that there’s no other homes in the area, the sight-lines are not considered a concern.
Overview of proposed new apartment building at 925 Notre Dame Drive/via City of Kamloops
The developer, ND (925) Properties Ltd — which does not appear on the City of Kamloops business directory as of the end of 2024 — is also asking that its landscaping minimums be reduced, which the report going to council does recommend Council allow.
The report also indicates the City is now looking at ways to try to scale back the minimum landscaping requirements, suggesting being able to add a patio as part of the landscaping requirement, which would cut down the need for green-space around any new build by around 50%.
The proposal does include plans for a ground-level gym.
Parking in the area would also be somewhat tight, as the location falls within a reduced parking zone the City has laid out to cut back on the space developers need to set aside for vehicle space.
Of the apartments 128 apartments to be created, 47 would be studios, 60 would be one bedroom, while the remaining 21 would be two bedroom, suggesting the developer has the nearby Thompson Rivers University in mind as a tenant base.
