The first phase of The Hive – a major construction project in downtown Kamloops – is set to ramp up next week, on July 7, with a groundbreaking ceremony.
Kamloops councillor Arjun Singh says the developers Invictus Properties and A&T Project Developments did not appear to have any intentions to slow down development because of COVID-19.
“That definitely shows the faith and you know what’s happening in town,” he said, on the NL Morning News. “Development I think has been moving at pace. I mean there’s obviously been some hiccups from a city public hearing side.”
“We just had our first public hearing a couple weeks ago, and we sort of had to put those on hold until we could figure out how to responsibly do them.”
Singh adds the pandemic has put the city in a situation he never thought was possible.
“So there’s a lot of work that has been done to try and get us to a place where we can do business of the city as efficiently as possible,” he added. “I think we are kind of there now, but its been a bit of a journey for sure.”
Work on the Hive will be taking place by the Delta Hotel downtown, at the corner of 5th Avenue and Lansdowne Street. Developers say McMillan Dubo Law Group will be joining Urban Systems in the building once construction is complete, moving into a space that is about 5,000 sq. feet in size.
“It’s an exciting day for Kamloops” said Carl DeSantis, the Executive Director of the Kamloops Central Business Association. “It says a lot about the strength of this project and the excitement and growth in Downtown, that this project is beginning despite the impact of the pandemic.”
The Hive will be built over three phases, and it will be the first new commercial building downtown since 2007. Valued at over $27-million, Phase One was originally set to be five storeys high, though developers say it will now be six floors because of ‘significant demand’.
A development permit for this first phase was approved by city council two weeks ago, on June 17.
“This is another step forward for Kamloops” claims Mayor Ken Christian. “The Hive project will be a new hub for leading Kamloops businesses to grow. More importantly, it will be a key attractor for new businesses to relocate to the city.”
Work on the first phase is set to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. NL News previously reported that the developers are also considering a residential tower as part of future development plans.