Demolition of Vancouver’s Balmoral Hotel starts in November

Demolition of the Balmoral Hotel will start this month, the City of Vancouver says.

The city promises to reduce the impact on the community, but people should expect traffic delays while traveling through the area.

“The city is reaching out to [the] community to seek guidance and involvement in providing respectful, healing and culturally appropriate support and ceremony for community through the building demolition and redevelopment process,” it says.

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Given the age and condition of the building, located at 159 East Hastings Street, the city says it will take it down in phases. Demolition will take 10 to 12 months to complete, with work expected to finish in the fall of 2023.

“The city recognizes that the Balmoral was a site of harm and trauma to many and that the demolition of this building will have emotional impact for former residents and their families, friends, and community,” the city says.

The city plans to turn the Regent and Balmoral hotels into low-income housing.

After many years of enforcement and legal action against the owners, the city got permission to close these two buildings in 2017 and 2019.