BC Housing’s $15.7M Kamloops apartment building opens two years late

Residents are finally moving into BC Housing’s subsidized apartment building in Kamloops, more than two years behind schedule.

The over-budget project was supposed to open in the fall of 2023, but construction delays extended its opening to this month.

After repairs to fire and flood damage, the purchase cost BC Housing $15.7 million.

According to BC’s housing ministry, the 435 Cherry Ave. apartment building could have been “lost to redevelopment” if it hadn’t bought up the property.

When BC Housing bought the building for $12.8 million in 2023, it had been vacant for more than a year due to a fire. Work didn’t start before a water pipe burst the following winter, flooding part of the building.

Renovations were pushed back multiple times before it was completed this year for nearly $3 million.

Kamloops non-profit Interior Community Services was tapped to operate the building, which will host families and seniors.

“Our priority is safe, accessible housing and supports that help people thrive. This important investment on Kamloops’ North Shore advances our mission of enriching lives and strengthening communities,” Interior Community Services CEO Dan Steenburgh said in a news release.