Reimagine the Row

The City of Campbell River has strategically acquired properties in Downtown Campbell River, including 1302 Shoppers Row (Downtown Safety Office), 1342 Shoppers Row (The Harbourside Inn), 1352 Shoppers Row and 1362 16th Avenue. The intention of these purchases and their subsequent redevelopment is to increase the sense of vibrancy and safety downtown via the development of a mixed-use building that includes purpose-built middle-income rental housing that helps address the City’s low rental vacancy rate. In addition to housing, the City envisions a variety of commercial, retail and civic uses at the ground level of the development that aims to invigorate and animate both Shoppers Row and 13th Avenue.

August 2025 Update:

Social Services Support

The City recognizes the importance of social services in supporting the city’s vulnerable community members. Recognizing that the closure of Harbourside Inn required the social services previously operating out of the building to be relocated, and acknowledging that to date the groups have been unsuccessful in securing a new location, the City has offered temporary services throughout the summer to help fill any potential service gaps. These services will now run until the end of October 2025:

• The City is providing takeaway dinners, run by the Salvation Army, that provide meals to vulnerable community members and supplement the hot lunch programs that are available through the Salvation Army Centre of Hope.
• Free showers and hygiene supplies—including towels, soap, and shampoo—are available at the Campbell River Community Centre. This program supplements shower services offered at the Salvation Army Centre of Hope.
• Weekly laundry service in the Community Centre parking lot is also available and supplements the laundry service provided by the Salvation Army Centre of Hope.

Working with BC Housing and Lookout Housing and Health Society, the City is also expanding Homewood, the temporary supportive housing initiative at 1299 Homewood Road. Homewood will welcome eight new residents in October, in addition to the 40 already housed there. This will mean that 48 community members will have access to food and hygiene services on site, where they live. The City will continue to monitor what this means for the community demands for these services as City staff continue to explore opportunities to best support vulnerable members of our community, including food security, supportive housing, and targeted outreach.

While the delivery of these programs falls outside the City’s formal responsibilities, Council remains committed to advocacy and collaboration to support our most vulnerable residents. Council continues to seek support from other levels of government to secure the resources our community needs, which fall within their scope of work and beyond the local government's mandate.

View a summary of the interim social services available.

Read the FAQs for more information on how the City continues to work with Laichwiltach Family Life Society on relocation efforts.

Harbourside Inn Residents

When the City purchased Harbourside Inn, it housed around 45 low-income tenants, many with complex needs. But the building lacked the on-site care and support that many individuals required, and living conditions were poor.

City staff and partners have worked tirelessly to complete assessments and match individuals with better housing. Every resident that required support and provided consent was offered housing should they want it—many with improved supports, accessibility, and proximity to services and family.

Demolition and Construction

Here’s what you can expect to see on site over the next few months:

• July to November 2025 – Hazardous Materials Abatement
• August to December 2025 – Preparation for and demolition of buildings on site
• January to February 2026 – Complete all remaining demolition activities.

Pre-demolition work has begun at the Harbourside Inn. At this stage most of the work is being done inside the building, so while it may look quiet on site, important progress is being made every day. This includes removal of building contents like furniture and fixtures and disposal of hazardous material. This work will continue until the end of October, with the demolition of Harbourside Inn expected to begin in November.

To help facilitate this work, the laneway behind the Harbourside Inn is temporarily closed until mid-December. The sidewalk in front of the building will also be temporarily closed starting in mid-November to ensure public safety once demolition begins.

Expression of Interest

The City has issued a Request for an Expression of Interest with the intent of partnering with a qualified, visionary developer eager to invest in Campbell River and collaborate on this redevelopment. In partnership with the City, the successful partner will be responsible for financing and constructing the development in line with City’s vision. Once constructed, the City will maintain ownership of the ground floor, with the developer owning and operating the residential component above the ground floor. The City has evaluated the submitted proposals and is working on a Partnership Agreement with the successful proponent. The successful proponent is expected to be announced in the near future, with demolition of the existing building commencing later in the summer.

More About the Project

Downtown is the heart of Campbell River. It’s the cultural center of our community. It’s where we come together as neighbours and friends. It continues to be a priority for the social and economic well-being of the City.

The purchase of the Shoppers Row properties aims to address:

• Downtown Reinvestment – The City investing in downtown signals to private investors that they have a strong vision and intend to work with the private sector in its revitalization. Initial efforts have intentionally focused on Shoppers Row as the epicenter of downtown reinvestment and with the goal of seeing revitalization continue to expand outwards.
• Housing – Campbell River has less than 1% apartment vacancy rate, and the development of purpose-built rental housing with a variety of unit types (studio apartments to 3-bedroom units) for middle income households will create a significant amount of additional housing downtown
• Community Safety – The City purchased the Downtown Safety Office in 2023, and the purchase of the additional properties is a continuation of our plan to build Shoppers Row into a hub in the cultural heart of the community. The new building is intended to house the Downtown Safety Office and be a space where residents can speak to Bylaw Enforcement Officers about neighbourhood concerns, while also being a hub for Bylaw’s regular downtown patrols and clean-up work.
• Vibrancy and Livability – There are opportunities to implement strategic urban design initiatives that enhance the character and sense of place downtown while reanimating its streets, increasing its livability and expanding affordable housing supply within walking distance of key amenities.

Acquiring properties on Shoppers Row is just one step the City is taking to revitalize our downtown. We are also:

• Working with neighbours to complete clean-ups
• Increasing RCMP and Bylaw presence (four new RCMP and two Bylaw positions have been approved this year)
• Developing the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan
• Delivered new temporary housing units with support services at 1299 Homewood Road

Stay Informed

We invite you to share your questions, sign up to receive updates, or get in touch with us as planning continues.

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