The fate of the Jean Burns building is hanging on a balance sheet of the cost to tear down and build from scratch versus clean up, reclaim and reconstruct.
The building has been fenced off and lying in a state of ruin since it was destroyed by a fire triggered by an electrical malfunction malfunction March 30. The fire displaced more than a dozen tenants that included commercial and retail businesses, artisans, artists and a design studio – several of which helped form the core population of a thriving arts district downtown.
“I’ve talked to our tenants and they’re all willing to come back because they can’t find anyplace to go,” said Rick Hyne, property manager for property owner Crankshaw Holdings.
But there is a lot of preparation work to be done before any reconstruction can get underway. So far the building has been reinforced to prevent possible collapse of a wall that looms over the China Steps where at least one business was displaced due to flooding from water used to fight the fire.
Hyne said a plan being crafted to remove contaminated fire debris from the structure must be put to tender. Once a company is selected the work must first meet bylaw and safety standards to be signed off on by organizations such as Work Safe B.C.
“From our perspective, we have every intention to build something new there, however, we are confined by what our insurance is able to cover,” Hyne said. “There are a lot of unknowns, currently. If anything, the retail and office levels may be rebuilt from the ground up. In that case we may look at adding things to that.”
The trick will be to find cost savings where possible and the structure is actually composed of three separate buildings: a drug store that was first build on the site followed by the former Acme Food Co. restaurant and finally the Jean Burns building, which was built around the two existing structures.
“We’re up against the building code, which requires us to rebuild if the fire damage exceeds 75 per cent of the assessed value above foundations. There’s a mouthful for you,” said Rick Hyne. “Acme only sustained smoke and water damage and the upper floor of the retail side is completely gone … and there’s some fire damage on the retail side, apart from that it’s just all water damage.”
