Council approves demolition of Winnipeg Hotel
By Erin Perkins
Grand Forks city council approved an application from Bill Irvine of Brown Bridge Ventures Ltd. to tear down Grand Forks’s last standing historical hotel to build a liquor store on the corner of Central Avenue and 4thStreet during the regular council meeting Monday, Oct. 22.
Irvine, who hails from Kelowna, will be removing the old hotel very soon, which was damaged in a fire earlier this year on the same night as the Grand Forks Hotel was burned down. The building will be replaced with a 2,532 square foot retail space that will house a privately owned liquor store to be opened in Spring 2013.
The new store, which will be called the Winnipeg Liquor Store, will focus on selling BC wines according to a letter outlining his intentions sent in by Irvine to the city.
“After an assessment of the building, it is very old and very run down, it’s well beyond repair, really,” said Irvine of their reason to tear down the Winnie during his presentation at the regular council meeting Monday, Oct. 22. “The time, the energy and the money necessary to put that back to the way it should be is well beyond the means of most human beings.”
We’ve heard talk about the age of the hotel and the emotional attachments of the hotel and we completely understand that but it is just not economically feasible for us to try and do anything with the hotel at this point.
The Boundary Museum Society would agree with Irvine’s assessment.
“There is nothing really left of any historical significance because the hotel has been remodeled so many times,” said Bob DeMaertelaere, a Boundary Museum Society director. “It’s just an old hotel and when it’s been remodeled time and time again there is nothing left.”
The developer will be salvaging as much of the building as he can during the demolition. Those items that could still be used will be sold or given away.
“If you find anything interesting please pass it on for archival purposes,” said councilor Cher Wyers during the meeting.
Irvine said he has found some original photographs in the building and will be passing copies on to the archives.
Grand Forks City Council had a few issues with the original design in the first proposal given to them earlier this fall including the desire for additional landscaping, the articulation of the east wall that will be facing 4thStreet and the colour of the outside of the building. Their concerns were tied in with the Sustainable Community Plan and council desired that the new building would fit in with the Historic Downtown Development Area.
The developer has since altered the design to include a more landscaped area, an east wall with architectural details that will help deter graffiti and replaced the original stucco finish with a river rock accent to more closely tie in with the surrounding area.
“I think it captures a certain western look,” said Mayor Brian Taylor after Irvine’s presentation. “The building adds to the overall look of the street.”
“Our goal is to have something we’re proud of and also the community is proud of,” said Irvine.
Council was pleased enough with the second draft design to unanimously approve it.
Irvine purchased the hotel in July of this year. His proposal has been kept private until the public meeting this week.
Irvine has five similar retail liquor stores in southern BC including one in Oliver at the Southwind Crossing Mall.
Foundation of Grand Forks Hotel filled in this week
The foundation left after the demolition of the burnt-out shell of the historic Grand Forks Hotel was filled in this week in preparation for winter.
But the insurance settlement on the building is no further along than it was a few months ago, said owner Bob Smith. Smith would like to rebuild another hotel on the site once the insurance claim is settled.
The fire was allegedly started by James Christopher Cusack of Grand Forks.
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