City staff will ask council to approve $280,000 to demolish the former Greyhound bus depot and construct a parking lot on the Ellis Street property at Tuesday's regular council meeting.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
February 02, 2019 - 9:00 AM
PENTICTON - Penticton City Council will be asked to approve more than $250,000 to demolish the recently purchased Greyhound bus depot on Ellis Street.
City staff are recommending council approve a $280,000 to knock down the building at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5.
The city purchased the property, located at 303, 307, 313, 317 and 319 Ellis Street, for $1,200,000 last December.
A recent hazardous building material assessment conducted on the approximately 50-year-old building revealed a number of hazardous substances in the building materials that will require removal prior to demolition taking place.
Estimated demolition costs are $150,000, with plans to demolish the building set for March or April of this year.
The city considers the property a long term investment, with an estimated 5 to 10 years before new development occurs on the property. In the meantime, a 55-stall parking lot will be established, which is estimated will generate $40,000 annually to the city.
The staff report before council noted other short-term options for the property were discussed, including such things as a transit exchange, but after assessing the cost to renovate the building the parking lot concept was deemed to have the best short-term benefit as well as providing future flexibility.
Staff will also be asking council in the coming weeks for a variance to the city’s zoning bylaw requiring enhanced standards for the construction of new parking lots, given the short term duration of the property as a parking area. Staff say the parking lot design will remain attractive, nonetheless.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2019