The Dunsmuir House was built in 1909
Crews in downtown Vancouver are demolishing a more than century-old heritage building that the city’s chief building official says is so badly damaged it is at risk of collapse.
The city said last week it was disappointed the owners “neglected the building to the point where demolition became the only viable option to ensure public safety.” “If anything else more falls in there, if another piece of the floor falls on a different level, that could bring part of the wall with it, and it would be a catastrophic, cascading collapse without warning,” he said.
“From the outset, we have had plans to redevelop this location, incorporating 500 Dunsmuir Street into a broader vision for revitalization that would benefit the community and we remain committed to this process.” Schwebs said the city initially wanted to save some of the building’s components, including the facade or the cornice, but that would have taken too long given the risk to the public.
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