POWELL RIVER, B.C. – It looks like the old Inn at Westview will be coming down.
Powell River council has instructed staff to look into how much it would cost to tear down the building.
The issue was brought up at the March 13 Committee of the Whole meeting.
According to a release from the city, councillors were told that a request for quotes could be put out to figure out the exact cost of the demolition.
Costs have been estimated at $700,000 to $1 million.
The release states that the city would pay for the tear-down, but if the costs could not be recovered from Seaboard Hotels Ltd., who owns the hotel, taxpayers in Powell River would have to absorb the cost of demolition.
In April 2017, a Remedial Action Requirement (RAR) to remove the former hotel was brought to council. Councillor Rob Southcott said since then, the city has been waiting for Seaboard to take action and remove the building, which has become an eye-sore to some in Powell River.
The city’s CAO Mac Fraser said that more research needs to be done on plans to demolish the building. The provincial Municipal Finance Authority is one source of funding that will be looked into, according to the release.
The authority provides low-cost funding to municipalities in British Columbia.
Fraser said that the RAR involves legally advising Seaboard representative Jack Barr that the city is taking control of the demolition.
However, under the RAR, Seaboard is responsible for demolishing and removing the building at full cost. As of this publication, they have yet to do so.
