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A derelict and long-vacant building in downtown Vancouver is slated to be demolished next weekend.
The 115-year-old five-storey building at 500 Dunsmuir — once a grand hotel, later a hostel, shelter and then social housing — has been deemed a “danger to public safety” by city officials due to severe structural deterioration.
The building has been vacant since 2013, deteriorating over a decade to its current state, which includes a leaky roof, rotting framing, broken windows, and bird droppings inches deep in places.
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On Dec. 18, Vancouver city council ordered Holborn Properties, which has owned the property since 2006, to demolish the building within three weeks.
Preparations for the demolition, including setting up excavators and other equipment, will start Jan. 17. The demolition will start on Saturday and continue until Monday morning.
The city has approved a noise bylaw exception to allow for the demolition to take place 24 hours a day.
Road closures will be in effect. Dunsmuir Street between Homer and Seymour streets, and Richards Street between West Georgia and Pender streets, will be shut down starting Friday afternoon until Monday morning. Sidewalks will remain open to maintain access to neighbouring businesses.
While the building is listed on the city’s heritage registry, it is not protected by heritage designation laws.
Council had initially ordered Holborn to retain some of the building’s heritage features, but later learned that retaining the cornices would take more than a year.
“Based on this assessment and the imminent risk to public safety, the (chief building officer) has determined that the condition requiring safe preservation of heritage components cannot be fulfilled and the demolition must proceed without delay,” the city said in a news release outlining the demolition timeline.
It said it was disappointed Holborn Properties “neglected the building to the point where demolition became the only viable option to ensure public safety.”
The city is exploring new measures to prevent private owners from neglecting vacant buildings.
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