It will take one year to demolish the derelict Balmoral Hotel SRO

Balmoral Hotel at 159 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

The City of Vancouver anticipates it will take a full year to demolish the highly derelict Balmoral Hotel in the heart of the Downtown Eastside.

The timeline for the building’s deconstruction released today states work on the building will start before the end of the year.

This will begin with the first phase of “abatement” of removing hazardous waste materials between now and the second quarter of 2023.

You might also like:

Actual demolition of the 1908-built, nine-storey structure, previously used as a SRO for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, will take place between the first and fourth quarters of 2023, which would bring the overall deconstruction timeline to between 10 and 12 months.

After the building is fully demolished, the property at 159 East Hastings Street will be temporarily covered with asphalt for “interim servicing and community uses,” until a permanent social housing development plan for the site is determined. The temporary paving will be completed in late 2023.

In addition to the demolition of the Balmoral Hotel, the municipal government announced today two low-storey buildings at 163-169 East Hastings Street — immediately east of the Balmoral Hotel — will also be demolished due to extensive fire damage from fires in July and again in late October.

These adjacent buildings, including the site of Street Church, are now deemed unsafe. Demolition on 163-169 East Hastings Street will begin within the next seven to 10 days.

163-169 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, located immediately east of the Balmoral Hotel. (Google Maps)

As for the Balmoral Hotel, it was first announced in February 2022 that the building will be demolished due to its extremely poor condition, and its high fire risk, which could potentially spread to other buildings in the area. The municipal government has also been incurring significant operating costs in securing the building.

The Balmoral Hotel was one of two SRO buildings acquired by the municipal government in December 2020 in a deal with BC’s Sahota family. The other property, the Regent Hotel, is located across the street at 160 East Hastings Street.

The municipal government originally aimed to expropriate each building for just $1, but this was not attainable, and the City ultimately paid millions. Even if the structures were worth nothing, the land carried significant value.

The value of the deal was not disclosed as its privacy is protected under the contract, but the City reportedly paid $11.5 million. And ever since the acquisition, the City has reportedly paid $1 million in security costs for both buildings combined annually to prevent homeless encampments and fires.

You might also like: