St. Andrews on the Square is set to reopen to the public next month, nearly two years after the historic building was heavily damaged by a fire in May 2024.

City staff provided the update during Tuesday’s Kamloops city council meeting — the first meeting of 2026 — confirming that restoration work on the building is nearing completion and final commissioning is now underway.

“The building which is nearing completion and should be ready to open, I believe, next month,” said Capital Project Manager Matt Kachel. “So it’s very close — just going through the final commissioning right now.”

The fire caused significant damage to the heritage structure, forcing its closure and triggering a major restoration effort. According to information included in the city’s council agenda, the project focused on restoring St. Andrews on the Square to its pre-fire condition, while also incorporating upgrades to improve accessibility, building code compliance, and overall operational functionality.

The renovation combines insurance-funded restoration with additional city-funded betterment and building envelope improvements. The total construction cost for the project is just over $1.1 million, with approximately $921,000 covered through insurance and the remaining $184,000 funded by the city.

City contributions came from several sources, including the Heritage Fund, Risk Reserve, and Capital Contingency Fund.

The surrounding park space has also been closed during construction, serving in part as a staging and laydown area. Civic Operations Director Jen Fretz told council that the park’s reopening is tied to utility work connected to the building.

“There are a number of components of St. Andrews on the Square that are tied to the utilities related to the building,” Fretz said. “So the intent is to open that shortly after the facility is open.”

Councillors emphasized the importance of the site as a downtown community amenity, noting that the park is widely used as a passive public space that doesn’t require bookings and is accessible year-round.

While construction is nearing completion, city staff cautioned that there may be a brief gap between the end of construction and full public access, as operations teams finalize preparations.

The City of Kamloops says more details — including an official reopening date — will be released once final inspections and operational readiness are complete.