Hotels, motels could become mixed-use developments in Kamloops
Some hotel and motel properties in Kamloops could be replaced with multi-family and mixed-use developments in the future.
The City of Kamloops uses a revitalization tax-exempt program to temporarily waive municipal taxes on properties in order to encourage certain developments in the city.
The City is considering providing the tax exemption incentive to all properties with an existing hotel or motel, as there are older hotels and motels that would benefit from a revitalization program to encourage multi-family housing, according to a July 26 report from city staff.
Councillor Bill Sarai said there is still a lot of consultation to be done.
“It is not a done deal,” he said. “We are still discussing it. We are just seeing what everyone else is thinking and feeling about it and finding a way where we can all work together and pull the rope in the same direction.”
One area of concern for the City is the ongoing conflicts and appearance of the Columbia Street West hotel/motel corridor, according to the report.
The City previously placed a number of Columbia Street West motel properties on its nuisance property list due to ongoing negative activity.
READ MORE: Six properties removed from Kamloops' 'nuisance properties' list
“Columbia Street used to be our destination for visitors, but visitors are using the motels located in Aberdeen now,” Sarai said. “The next step is for Columbia Street to get attainable, affordable housing for all income levels.”
Some residents are reportedly concerned for those people currently using motel rooms as living spaces, wondering where they will go.
Rental vacancy rates have been below 2% in Kamloops and the Okanagan for many years, and Kamloops has the lowest at 1.3%, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data from September 2019.
READ MORE: Kamloops residents left stranded as rented houses are slated for demolition +
“There is a need to replace some of these older hotels,” Sarai said. “Yet we also need to get to a good place where we don’t put people on the street and we don’t deplete motels for visitors.”
Sarai said more discussions are needed among stakeholders at this time. He said he wants B.C. Housing to be part of those discussions.
“We need to work together to come up sustainable, long term solutions,” he said.
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