Homeowners are officially beginning to move into the first residential tower at Kamloops’ massive City Gardens development, marking a major milestone for one of the largest construction projects in the city’s history.

Kelson Group Property Development confirmed residents have started taking possession of units in the 24-storey Trillium tower in downtown Kamloops.

Company President Jason Fawcett said about 20 homeowners have already moved in over the past couple of weeks, with additional move-ins expected steadily through the summer.

“It is a great achievement for us to be able to open the doors and start having the first homeowners move in,” Fawcett told Radio NL in an interview Friday.

The Trillium tower is the first major residential building completed as part of the broader City Gardens master-planned development, which ultimately aims to include six buildings and hundreds of residential units in Kamloops’ downtown core.

Fawcett said the project has been years in the making.

“After four years of construction, a lot of hard work and a few years of planning before it, we’re just happy now to have the building start to be filled up and occupied,” he said.

The company says the first group of buyers includes downsizers, first-time buyers and investors, with strong demand for walkable, low-maintenance downtown living.

According to Kelson Group, one-bedroom north-facing units in Trillium are already sold out, though some studio, one-bedroom and limited two-bedroom units remain available.

The tower has significantly altered Kamloops’ skyline and is currently the tallest residential building in the city.

Most buyers remain local

While City Gardens has generated interest from outside the region, Fawcett said the majority of buyers so far have come from within Kamloops.

“Eighty to ninety per cent of our buyers have been local so far,” he said. “We think that will probably continue.”

The company is now preparing to relaunch its sales campaign for remaining unsold units in the coming weeks.

More buildings still to come

Construction also continues on the second highrise tower at the site, along with a nearby wood-frame residential building at 5th Avenue and Nicola Street.

Fawcett said both projects are currently targeted for completion in fall 2027.

Fawcett also spoke to the March 2025 construction incident involving a partial collapse of a section of the underground parkade roof during a concrete pour.

At the time, several workers were caught in the collapse area, though no serious injuries were reported. One worker suffered a minor knee injury.

Fawcett said Friday the incident did not significantly impact the broader construction timeline because the affected section was tied to a future phase of the development.

He added the company has learned valuable lessons through construction of the first tower that are already helping streamline work on future phases.

“We’ve simplified a few things, and the second tower construction is going a little easier and a little quicker,” he said.

In addition to the two towers currently under construction, Kelson Group still plans three more buildings as part of the long-term City Gardens vision.