Deteriorating to the purpose it was liable to a “catastrophic collapse”, Vancouver metropolis council voted unanimously on Dec. 18 to declare the previous Dunsmuir Hotel a hazard to public security, and ordered its demolition.
Holborn Properties, which owns the construction at 500 Dunsmuir Road by way of a subsidiary, has been given 21 days to do the work at its personal expense.
The 115-year-old Dunsmuir Home has sat vacant since 2013, its roof leaking for greater than a decade.
Holborn will even be required “to protect sure heritage options to be reused in any future growth of the positioning,” if it may be carried out safely.
Whereas the constructing is listed on Vancouver’s Heritage Registry, it isn’t protected beneath heritage designation legal guidelines.
Retired architect and actual property marketing consultant Michael Geller mentioned the property’s proprietor must be held accountable.
“The actual fact they allowed it to develop into derelict after buying it’s a tragedy as a result of this actually is a particular constructing,” Geller mentioned Friday.
Council has directed workers to report again on choices for authorized recourse towards Holborn for the obvious neglect of 500 Dunsmuir and the lack of heritage.
SFU metropolis program director Andy Yan advised World Information it seems to be a case of “demolition by neglect.”
“Right here is an proprietor who clearly knew that they have been buying a single room occupancy resort that was offering inexpensive housing – actually now seemingly with the ability to get away with a demolition of the constructing,” Yan mentioned.
Council heard Holborn Properties was getting ready to maneuver ahead with demolition at 500 Dunsmuir.
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“In order that’s the one factor they’ve been motivated to do with pace however not preserve the constructing – however they’re out of the blue responsive and keen about demolishing it?” Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung requested the town’s chief constructing official.
“It might seem so, sure,” replied Saul Schwebs on the Dec. 18 assembly.
Holborn Properties mentioned CEO Joo Kim Tiah was spending the vacations together with his household and unavailable for an interview this week.
In an emailed response to a collection of questions from World Information, Holborn denied it let the heritage property slowly crumble to drive the town’s hand on demolition.
“From the outset, now we have had plans to redevelop this location and have submitted three proposals over the course of 10 years to the Metropolis, every with a view to revitalization that may profit the group,” Holborn mentioned by way of e-mail, acknowledging not one of the proposals had been profitable.
Holborn mentioned it has labored with native authorities to make sure the vacant constructing was as much as fireplace and life security code.
The corporate added it commissioned its personal structural report in mid-October, which concluded that whereas 500 Dunsmuir shouldn’t be occupied and elimination thought of, it was not a public security hazard and didn’t should be demolished straight away.
“In my view, Holborn didn’t wish to preserve this constructing and incorporate it right into a growth,” Geller advised World Information Friday. “They wished to have a clear slate.”
Housing advocate and former Vancouver councillor Jean Swanson mentioned there ought to be some kind of penalty imposed on the constructing’s proprietor.
Below the town’s Single Room Lodging bylaw, fines will be levied for every SRO room eliminated.
At Dunsmuir Home, SRO alternative charges might high $50 million for the 167 rooms misplaced.
“It says council can cost as much as $300,000 per unit of demolished SROS and I believe the town ought to use it,” Swanson advised World Information in an interview.
When requested if it was ready to pay SRO alternative charges of $50.1 million as per the town of Vancouver’s SRA bylaw for the 167 Dunsmuir Home rooms misplaced as a consequence of neglect, Holborn mentioned no price is relevant.
“Dunsmuir Home as an SRO, was changed by Belkin Home in 2004 by the earlier proprietor, the Salvation Military. In 2021, the Metropolis of Vancouver [not Holborn] re-classified Dunsmuir Home from Residential to Industrial,” Holborn mentioned in an e-mail.
Geller mentioned the Metropolis of Vancouver is beneath no obligation to allow a rezoning and questioned why the proprietor ought to be allowed to rezone the property after demolition.
When requested if it will develop an workplace constructing on the website beneath the present Downtown District C2 zoning, Holborn mentioned downtown Vancouver at the moment has a surplus of workplace house.
“Our plan has all the time been to include 500 Dunsmuir right into a broader imaginative and prescient for revitalization that may profit the group, with our three previous proposals incorporating housing,” the corporate mentioned in an e-mail.
Holborn mentioned it stays dedicated to making a undertaking that brings profit to the neighbourhood and broader group.
“I hope the town will in truth drive a tough cut price as a result of Holborn can not develop residential on this website with no rezoning,” mentioned Geller.
Metropolis workers have additionally been tasked with reporting again to council on any avenues to hunt compensation as a part of future rezoning functions Holborn could pursue for Dunsmuir Home.
Holborn mentioned it accepts the town’s determination to have the constructing demolished and is working diligently to satisfy the 21-day deadline.
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