Drivers and downtown residents should expect reduced parking availability for the foreseeable future around the Kamloops Centre for the Performing Arts construction site. It comes as work ramps up this month.
Construction activity increased this week as crews began shallow utility realignments along the edges of the site, affecting sections of St. Paul Street, Fourth Avenue and Seymour Street. While traffic lanes are largely being maintained, city project manager Adam Gordon said preserving vehicle flow comes at the expense of on-street parking.
“The biggest impact is going to be parking,” Gordon said. “In order to maintain traffic flow, vehicles get pushed toward the outer edges of the roadway, and unfortunately that squeezes out parking spaces.”
Over the coming weeks, construction crews will expand into one lane on portions of Seymour, St. Paul and Fourth Avenue as preparations begin for deep excavation. That excavation will eventually create a large underground parking structure beneath the new performing arts centre.
Although two-way traffic will continue on St. Paul Street and Fourth Avenue, and at least two lanes of one-way traffic will remain open on Seymour Street, Gordon said the long-term traffic configuration leaves little room for curbside parking.
To reduce pressure on nearby streets, the city is requiring construction contractors to use satellite parking rather than parking near the site. Officials are also encouraging neighboring construction projects to adopt similar measures.
“We don’t want our own workforce compounding the problem by taking up the limited spaces that remain,” Gordon said.
The city acknowledged the parking reduction will be a long-term reality. While traffic patterns may shift over the next several weeks as utility and sanitary work is completed, Gordon said parking impacts will remain consistent throughout most of the construction phase.
“Once we settle into the long-term traffic condition in March and April, this is something we’ll be dealing with for the duration of the foundation and structural work,” he said. “The site needs to be this size to accommodate construction efficiently and safely.”
Residents and property owners in nearby buildings — including several apartment complexes across the street and on the corners of the site — are encouraged to contact the city with parking or access concerns. Gordon said issues will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Construction is expected to continue for several years, with the most disruptive parking impacts occurring during the early excavation and foundation phases.
City officials say they recognize the inconvenience but ask for patience as work continues on what they describe as a major cultural investment for Kamloops.
“We know it’s another project adding pressure downtown,” Gordon said. “But we hope people see it as disruption for a good purpose.”
