Despite owner's 'diligent efforts,' derelict Vancouver building will not be demolished on schedule, city says

Vancouver hotel likely to be demolished Sitting derelict for years with the owner not fixing it, now the former Dunsmuir Hotel is so dilapidated it’s at risk of collapsing.

The owner of a crumbling 127-year-old building in downtown Vancouver is "making every effort" to comply with the city council's order to demolish it, but will not meet the council's 21-day deadline for doing so, according to city officials.

Holborn Properties, which owns the 176-room former Hotel Dunsmuir at the corner of Richards and Dunsmuir streets, maintains that it is committed to acting in the best interest of public safety.

In a statement to CTV News Thursday night, the City of Vancouver said its chief building official has been "in close and regular communication with Holborn," and is "confident" that the developer is working to demolish the building as quickly as possible.

"The 21-day time limit was established to prompt immediate action from the owner, and it remains an important benchmark," the city said.

"However, due to the complexity of the demolition process, the co-ordination required among multiple agencies … and the need to carefully schedule operations to minimize impacts on the city, it is likely they will exceed the 21-day limit despite diligent efforts to comply."

Among the agencies involved in the process are multiple city departments, BC Hydro, WorkSafeBC, FortisBC, TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus Company, the city said.

In an update Friday afternoon, the city announced that "preparatory work and demolition" has been scheduled to begin on Jan. 17 and is expected to be finished by the morning of Jan. 20.

While city councillors directed Holborn to retain heritage features of the building, provided it could be done safely, the city said Friday that this amendment to the demolition motion could not be fulfilled.

"While every effort has been made to retain these features, a third-party demolition consultant experienced with retaining similar heritage elements estimated that preserving the cornice would take approximately 14 months, posing significant safety risks," the update reads.

"The city is disappointed that the owners of Dunsmuir House, a building with significant heritage value, neglected the building to the point where demolition became the only viable option to ensure public safety. Property owners have a responsibility to maintain their buildings, and allowing a property to fall into disrepair and become a hazard to public safety is unacceptable."

First opened in 1908, the building was most recently used as SRO housing, but has sat empty since 2013.

In a report to council last month, city staff said the derelict building had holes in the top-floor ceiling, into which water has apparently been pouring unabated for years, causing the floors to rot.

Parts of the main floor have collapsed into the basement, and the building contains hazardous materials and a high amount of "wildlife biowaste," largely from pigeons that have taken up residence there.

Chief building official Saul Schwebs told CTV News last month that city officials had hoped the building could be saved, but felt there was no safe way to begin repairs.

He said he's working with councillors to amend and update the bylaws around vacant buildings so that his office will have more authority to compel owners to maintain them before they reach an irreversible state of disrepair.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ben Miljure