For a while it looked like the 1911 heritage house on Maitland Avenue that was being offered up for free might get a reprieve.
But after the developer tried in earnest to find someone who could undertake the cost of moving the Pearson House, as it was known, it was determined it might not be structurally sound enough to withstand being transported.
Coun. Jason Lum asked during the Tuesday council meeting if anyone had come forward with a proposal to move the house at 7158 Maitland Ave.
Kevin Nicol, the developer with Richlane Ventures, told council that the idea to relocate the house to another site was not going to be successful.
“There is a lot of asbestos so it’s been mostly stripped out,” Nicol said.
The idea now is for the developer to organize an open house event whereby heritage enthusiasts can come by to purchase “bits and pieces” to preserve the home’s history, such as a doorknob, or a stained glass window, or say goodbye to the house.
There was considerable interest in the old house expressed by members of the public last year who showed up at the original rezoning, said Laura Reid, president of Heritage Chilliwack.
“Kudos to the community and everyone who tried to move the house to save it,” Reid said. “The reality is it’s not always possible. You have to have the land to move it to, and logistically it has to be close enough to account for the high cost of the move.”
Reid said some might want to take a nostalgic last look at the home at the open house.
“It was a nice gesture on the part of the developer to let that happen,” Reid said.
Nicol told council there has even been some interest in the house’s clapboard siding, and they’re working on making the open house a reality as soon as the snow is gone.
“The house is ready for demolition on the site right now, other than the weather,” Nicol added.
Part of the issue was that the structural integrity of the house was very poor in the end.
READ MORE: Community responds to heritage home slated for demolition
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