City Gardens ‘Tops Off’ Tower Number One October 7, 2024

Kamloops, B.C.: Kelson Group Property Development has reached its highest, most epic milestone yet, ‘topping off’ Trillium tower, the first building of six in its City Gardens development. The event was marked with a celebration from atop the 23^rd floor with Kelson Group staff present plus, many of the tradespeople who have been working for 30 months on the construction of the 24-storey residential tower. It is an exciting achievement Kelson Group’s President Jason Fawcett is pleased to celebrate.

“We first introduced the City Gardens concept back in September of 2020,” shared Fawcett. “The residential development was our vision to add to the vibrancy of Kamloops’ downtown core, increase density downtown to support local businesses and venues, and help relieve the shortage of housing in the city. With the news a few weeks ago of the ‘Build Kamloops’ campaign moving forward, we believe that now more than ever, our City Gardens development will provide the housing to account for the increased demand of people looking to move downtown to our beautiful city.”

The ’topping off’ of Trillium signals the final structural addition to the height of the tower. For Patrick Brown, City Gardens’ Assistant Site Supervisor, it is a milestone he and the construction crews are grateful to pause for and celebrate.

“This topping off party is a way for Kelson Group to show our appreciation to the crews,” said Brown. “On average, we have 150 workers on-site each day and that will grow to nearly 200 workers soon. It can be a challenge to have cohesiveness between so many people. The workers have developed relationships with each other, which has created a positive work environment and has helped us accomplish big construction milestones, like our large concrete pours of over 1,000 cubic metres, where everyone needs to come together to make it happen.”

As Brown and the crews continue the work, they have a lot to accomplish over the next 6 to 8 years.

“Our construction teams have completed some of the biggest parts of the development to date, including the construction of the three-storey underground parkade,” shared Brown. “Moving forward, a lot of the work will be done above ground. Those who live close by or travel through the area will see the other residential buildings start to rise in the years ahead. We would like to thank everyone from suppliers, tradespeople, and consultants to trucking companies, the City of Kamloops, our entire Kelson Group staff, and our neighbouring businesses and residents for their patience as we build City Gardens!”

Next up for the City Gardens development will be Alyssium, a 20-storey residential tower with a total of 136 suites. Construction is about to start, and Kelson Group will be working in the months ahead to determine the potential sales/rental makeup of the building, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2027. At the same time, Orchid, a six-storey wood-frame building with eight townhouses and 26 apartment suites, will start construction with a projected completion date in early 2027. The start of construction of Birch and Aspen, both rental apartment buildings, and Lotus, a collection of townhomes and apartments, will be announced soon.

“We are seeing a lot of confidence and excitement in our community,” said Fawcett. “We are so pleased to be a part of this energy and look forward to welcoming those who have purchased at Trillium to their new home in 2025.”

Currently, Trillium is 52% sold. Kelson Group and their real estate team expect that as the tower nears completion, the interest and subsequent sales of suites will increase. Those interested in learning more are encouraged to visit www.kamloopscitygardens.ca and register for updates.

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