The plan to build seniors’ housing onto the Kamloops United Church building on the 400-block of St. Paul Street is taking the next step.

Ron Routledge, church co-chairman of the Vision 421 Building Society, said Wednesday the rezoning application has gone to the City for approval.

The church owns two lots, both zoned for church use. That needs to be changed to central business district zoning so that a proposed six-storey structure can be added beside the sanctuary that will provide one floor of church offices and seniors’ housing in the rest.

The plan calls for underground parking and the current basement tenants — including a preschool — will move under the sanctuary once that area is renovated.

Last November, the 200 congregation members were asked to help raise the money for the project.

Routledge said the church is in talks with B.C. Housing to pitch in on the seniors’ accommodation part of the building.

The church already has an architect and a contractor providing advice as the project moves along. But like so many construction projects, it will take time, he said.

“There’s still a lot of steps we need to go through,” he said.

But there’s been strong support from the church members, he added.

“The reason we had a very good response from the congregation is because they saw this as an opportunity to do something for the good of the downtown area.”

Routledge said the earliest anything could start happening at the site is early 2012. The first phase involves renovating the sanctuary side of the building, then the housing side. He was cautious about giving any timeline.

“As with any of these kinds of things, you never know where there are going to be bumps in the road,” he said.