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Is Kamloops ready for tiny living?

The tiny living trend is making its way to Kamloops and some think it could bridge the gap between renting and homeownership amidst rising housing prices.

A six-storey, mixed-use building planned for the North Shore will have 47 residential units and half will be about 350 square feet — micro suites that will be up for pre-sale at about $150,000 in the next few months.

Rendering for the proposed development at 280 Tranquille Rd. by Blue Green Architecture.

Arpa Investments expects to break ground this fall on the development at 280 Tranquille Rd. and, with residential housing prices on the rise, president Joshua Knaak believes tiny living is just want the area needs.

“When we think about the progression of housing, when we think of housing affordability, a lot of times we think subsidized rental, more rental units and so on, but we don’t necessarily think about how to get from that to ownership,” he said. “When the first entry point for ownership is $250,000, there’s a huge jump there.”

Hundreds of micro suites have been approved for development over the past few years in Kelowna, but there has been some skepticism as to whether they ease the affordable housing crisis.

Arpa Investments will finish up construction on The Vistas on Battle this fall and Knaak said units priced around $250,000 went like hotcakes, leading him to believe an even lower price point will be attractive to Kamloops buyers.

But the list price is just one piece of the puzzle. With a central location in the North Shore business district, and close proximity to retail and amenities such as McArthur Island Park, the development also boasts great livability and walkability.

Knaak says the micro-suite lifestyle — getting your R&R at home and going elsewhere for recreation and entertainment — is an attractive one for locals. The location of the development is a key part of what he believes will make the development a success.

Rendering for the proposed development at 280 Tranquille Rd. by Blue Green Architecture.

The project has received support from the North Shore Business Improvement Association and Kamloops Innovation Centre. In its letter of support, the NSBIA said the micro units will "help decrease the strain on low income families and student housing."

Kamloops Innovation Centre will be right next door and itself has plans for renovations and expansion in the coming months as it continues its efforts to attract new tech workers.

Knaak said the growing tech workforce in the Tranquille Market Corridor is a big draw as entrepreneurs look for a work-life balance that suits their lifestyle. Executive director Lincoln Smith has shown his support, saying in a letter to council that the “availability of entry-level property is attractive to this workforce.”

“I think the demand from the younger crowd is going to be there,” Knaak said.

“There are some buildings like this. There’s one behind us on Cherry Avenue, but that was focused for seniors housing — not taking away from seniors housing, but we want this up to a broader market and see how the demand is.”

Rendering for the proposed development at 280 Tranquille Rd. by Blue Green Architecture.

Realtor Daimion Applegath said he thinks Kamloops will see more new developments like this in the future. The 350-square-foot micro suite apartments will go for around $400 a square foot — a high price in a city like Kamloops.

“If this project has success, I anticipate somebody else will try it as well,” Applegath said.

“There have been some sales at $400 a square-foot, but it’s not quite your day-to-day common sale price. The nicer apartments have certainly gone over $300 and I can remember when that seemed like a lot of money, but things are headed in a direction where even $400 is going to be supported by the market.”

The property is located on the corner of Tranquille Road and Clapperton road and is currently vacant except for a former Super Save gas station. Arpa was at council earlier this month to secure a development permit.

The finished six-storey building will also feature an 80-seat restaurant, 3,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, and 4,500 square feet of office space on the second floor. The United Way has already claimed a large portion of that space.

On floors three to six will be the 24 micro suites, 20 one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units. The building will also feature two 600-square-foot rooftop decks. Knaak expects the project to be completed by March of 2019.



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