Port Alberni city council has officially given the order for the Port Pub to be demolished.
The owner of the building, Peter Wang, has been given 30 days to apply for a demolition permit.
“Otherwise, the city would do this on their behalf,” city CAO Mike Fox told council during a meeting on Monday, June 24. “They would have 15 days to ask for a reconsideration of this order, but administration has seen no action from the owner.”
Fox told council that the building continues to have “ongoing costs” for the city. The Port Pub was evacuated at the end of May after the discovery of airborne asbestos, which meant that about two dozen tenants were left without homes. A fire order was placed on the building, and it has been boarded up since then.
At a previous council meeting, Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions said she wanted to talk to the Province of B.C. to try and convince them to take on the costs of remediating the building.
However, on June 24, Minions said the city has not been able to get confirmation of funding from the province. She added that the city has started some “really important” dialogue with the province about housing.
“I think we brought a lot more attention to this issue and the people that we need to find support for,” she said. She said the city is "likely" to see some additional short-term housing solutions from the province, but said the province will probably not be buying and remediating the Port Pub.
She and the rest of council voted to give the demolition order.
“The risks on the building are high, and we know that the costs to the city are high, as well,” said Minions.
If the owner does not demolish the building, the city will take on the work and the land will go up for tax sale.