Dunsmuir Hotel demolition gets underway

It’s the end of the line for a historic building in downtown Vancouver.

Crews were on the site of the historic Dunsmuir Hotel early Saturday morning, slowly tearing down the building from top to bottom with a large crane.

According to city staff, the rotting heritage building — which had been vacant since 2013 — posed a significant risk to the public due to its potential to collapse.

The hazardous materials in the former hotel, like lead and asbestos, still pose a risk. Workers used industrial hoses to keep these substances from wafting through the air during the demolition.

“So we’re seeing in that southeast corner severe rot all the way down into the building…What triggered our most recent alarm is seeing that ground floor in the southeast corner of the building falling into the basement,” said City of Vancouver chief building official Saul Schwebs.

“Nothing fell on it; it just collapsed because it was so rotted.”

Despite efforts to salvage any parts of the building, Schwebs says it would have taken 14 months to preserve the architecturally significant cornice at the top of the heritage building.

“That’s just too great a delay, given the risk of public safety,” he said. “So unfortunately, we can’t save anything, which is really not a good outcome for this building.”

The round-the-clock tear-down has forced the closure of Dunsmuir Street between Homer and Seymour and Richards between West Georgia and Pender through the weekend.

City staff are aiming for the demolition process to be wrapped up in time for Monday’s morning commute.

In terms of what’s next for the plot of land, that is still up in the air.

“What happens after that, I’m not sure. Partially, it’s going to be up to Holborn to decide what to do with the property,” Schwebs said.

“I’m hoping they turn it into something that’s an asset for this city, but I can’t really comment on that.”

According to Schwebs, after the demolition is completed, removing the leftover debris could take between six and eight months.

Holborn is responsible for all costs for the demolition process.

In a statement to The Leader Spirit, Holborn Properties said, “It has always been our intention to redevelop this site to benefit the community. We have submitted proposals to the City of Vancouver three times since BC Housing ceased operation at Dunsmuir House in 2013. None have been successful; however, we remain committed to seeing this site revitalized in a meaningful way for the neighbourhood and broader community.”