Demolition price tag is $507,000

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: January 12, 2010 7:00 PM

Taxpayers will take a financial hit when a downtown Vernon building falls to a wrecking ball. The City of Vernon will spend up to $507,000 from land reserves to remove asbestos and demolish the Vernon Medical Clinic at 3909 31st Ave. “We’re pretty confident with the cost,” said Leon Gous, chief administrative officer. “With a competitive bid process, it could come in for less.” This is just the latest building the city has purchased and knocked down in recent years. Others have included the old Coldstream Hotel and an adjacent structure that served as a restaurant and a spa. Coun. Bob Spiers isn’t comfortable with so much money being directed towards demolition, but he believes it’s unavoidable. “If you want to use that property for another purpose, it has to be done,” he said.

The city purchased the medical clinic in 2008 for $1.4 million and most of the physicians that had offices there have relocated to the former Tolko building on 30th Avenue. As part of the process, council has directed staff to report back on a draft site plan for redevelopment of the property. “Council is fixed on a green space,” said Gous, adding that it could serve as a link between the civic complex and Cenotaph Park. A contractor must now be found to take out the asbestos and remove the clinic, and Gous expects that demolition may not occur for about three months.

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Editorial: Morning Star Published: January 12, 2010 7:00 PM Bill starts to add up

City taxpayers may be starting to wonder about the math skills that went into the decision to buy the former Vernon Medical Clinic site. Let’s see, the city purchased the medical clinic building in 2008 for $1.4 million and now it will cost up to $507,000 to remove asbestos and demolish the facility now that is has been abandoned. Thanks to a calculator, most taxpayers can figure out that that’s nearly $2 million for a flat piece of land with nothing on it. You know similar to the flat piece of land a block away where the old Coldstream Hotel and its neighbouring businesses used to stand and is now, well, a parking lot. Once upon a time it was supposed to be a city cultural centre, or maybe a library or art gallery or maybe it was condos and offices, or maybe all of the above, it’s difficult to remember – but for the foreseeable future it will remain a parking lot. And now the city is the proud owner of another lot that it is clearcutting with a plan in mind. That plan is for a park that, on paper, connects Cenotaph Park with the rejuvenated civic complex with green space. Sounds kind of cool, although this new park would be framed by existing buildings and may or may not be attractive to an element recently banned from the area. And, one has to keep in mind, this park plan is not included in the $2 million already spent to acquire yet another flat piece of land downtown. So, this will take political will and leadership to pull off (which the Coldstream Hotel site plan never had), and, of course, some more money. Keep your calculators handy.