Vancouver to debate demolishing hazardous, dilapidated heritage building

Vancouver city councillors are set to receive a report on Wednesday that could lead to the demolition of a 115-year-old heritage building that engineers say has become dangerously unstable.

The historic former Dunsmuir Hotel was built at 500 Dunsmuir Street in 1909, but has sat vacant since 2013.

The report to council warns that the structure has become dilapidated and dangerous, with rotting wood framing, broken windows, water dripping through structurally compromised areas and inoperable sprinkler and fire alarm systems.

0:31 Vancouver's historic Dunsmuir Hotel could be torn down

While the building is listed on Vancouver's Heritage Registry, it is not protected under heritage designation laws.

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Vancouver City Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said the report had left her "angry” and "disappointed.”

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"We're going to be asking a lot of questions on Wednesday and that's one that I have — how do we have protections in place that there are penalties here?”

The building is owned by Holborn Properties, through a company called "500 Dunsmuir Property Ltd.”

City staff say the company failed to adequately maintain the building's roof, deal wit water damage and conduct basic structural and safety upkeep.

The ground floor of the building has collapsed in one corner, and further collapses in that part of the building could lead to a "catastrophic, cascading collapse,” according to the report.

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