Northbridge Hotel in Kamloops to be gutted, tenants out by fall

Tenants at the Northbridge Hotel in Kamloops have until Sept. 30 to find a new place to live.

The City of Kamloops sent a notice throughout the building letting them know it plans to demolish at least part of the building, and it's giving the remaining 35 tenants cash to leave.

Tenants filled 52 units when the City bought the aging hotel last year. Long-term tenants continued to pay rent at 377 Tranquille Road after the City's purchase, with ASK Wellness Society hired to manage the property.

According to ASK Wellness, 35 tenants still live there in 32 units.

READ MORE: This $8.7 million South Okanagan winery for sale comes with its own caves

A letter from the City, dated May 25, details its plans for the building, along with incentives for current tenants to leave before Sept. 30.

Once tenants are gone, the city will demolish the former nightclub, The Duchess, to make way for future parking. Then the interior will be "completely gutted," along with the exterior nightclub fronting along Tranquille Road.

"Depending on the structural integrity of the building and the new purchaser's redevelopment plans, the entire building may be demolished," the letter reads.

The City hasn't sold the Tranquille Road property yet, but a City manager said it will put the building up for a public bid in the fall.

READ MORE: Effort to tackle affordable housing, poverty gears up in Central Okanagan

"There's nothing on the table now," real estate manager Dave Freeman said, adding that the City will request proposals through its public bidding process.

After the City bought the building, a repair estimate detailed hundreds of thousands in needed repairs, including $200,000 to replace its aged windows and more than $150,000 to repair the roof, which has holes in some places.

Tenants will be given $500 for every month in advance they move out, along with one month's rent. Many receive rent subsidies, either through B.C. Housing or through disability assistance, so those tenants will get the amount they pay, not including the subsidized amount.

READ MORE: Kamloops Mountie back on the hook over McDonald's burger incident

"We are actively supporting tenants who are interested in working with us to find alternative housing solutions, and are working together with the City, B.C. Housing, and local community partners to find appropriate placements for those individuals," Andrina Tenisci of Ask Wellness said in an email.

The City announced its purchase of the hotel and former strip club in October, for which it paid $7.1 million. The real estate deal included the 346 Campbell Avenue lot behind the hotel, where B.C. Housing will eventually build new multi-family housing.

After the deal was announced, the City had not detailed exactly how long it would be before the hotel was sold. A letter from a City manager in October told residents it would be "years" before redevelopment started.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.