The City of New Westminster is anxious to deal with the hole that’s been left on Columbia Street as a result of the recent fire.
The city issued letters to the owners of the two buildings destroyed in the fire and outlined the documentation required for the remediation process.
“We had a meeting with staff for everybody to discuss where things are at, where things are going,” said Blair Fryer, the city’s economic development and communications manager. “There’s a process that needs to be followed, as the investigation is complete.”
When the fire and police departments no longer needed the two sites for investigative purposes, they were turned over to the property owners and their insurance companies. The city recently updated the owners about needs such as a site management plan, a copy of the hazardous materials survey and environmental impact report, documentation from WorkSafe, and a report from a geotechnical engineering company regarding the stability of the site.
“The concerns would relate to the presence of toxic materials, which is actually quite normal resulting from a fire of this vintage,” Fryer said. “There is a whole process that needs to be followed as that site is excavated and cleared.”
The E.L. Lewis Block and the Hamley Block were destroyed in an Oct. 10 fire in downtown New Westminster. More than 20 businesses were located in the two buildings destroyed by the fire.
“We are still working on trying to help the businesses and focus on the cleanup efforts as well,” said Lisa Spitale, the city’s chief administrative office. “There’s been some frustration with what the site looks like, which I understand.”
With the shock of the fire having worn off, Mayor Wayne Wright said it’s time to start thinking about the future of the site. He said the city is making plans to speak to the three owners of the two buildings.
“We need to see what their wants are and their needs are,” he said. “One of the issues I have is I do not want that site to stay stagnant like that. It’s a wonderful opportunity, and now you have to move quickly. The city is prepared to do that. We will have some meetings.”
Wright suspects there will be considerable interest in the site from the development community.
“You can’t think small on that site,” he said of the site located in the Columbia Street historic district. “We are there to help them do it as quick as they can. If you are asking me what should go in there, I don’t know yet. You have an open field of what would be best there.”
