The City of Delta has issued a request for proposal to demolish and remove three city-owned buildings in Ladner Village.
Each to be demolished separately this fall and early next year, after the tenants have all permanently vacated, the buildings are located at 4918 Delta St., 4940-4946 Chisholm St. and 4926 Delta St/4924-4930 Chisholm St.
All work for the third and final building is to be completed by March 28, 2025.
The contractor is to demolish the buildings to their floor slabs and foundations, but not excavate or remove any part of the buildings that are embedded in the ground, as well as removal and disposal of all dismantled and demolished building materials.
An environmental consultant has already been hired to provide a scope of work for the hazardous material abatement required for the upcoming demolition.
Demolished building materials must be removed as quickly as possible from site and cannot be stockpiled for the duration of the project timeframe.
Following demolition, archaeological testing will take place and the foundations will be removed.
Road dedications are planned as part of the lot consolidation and will apply to small portions along the back laneway to maintain a consistent 7.5-metre width for Trenant Lane towards Elliott Street.
Delta already owned the building at 4918 Delta St., formerly called the Delta Museum Annex and used by the Delta Heritage Society, as well as Delta Minor League Baseball. The building was also previously home to the Canadian Legion until 1962 when it was renovated to be a police station.
The city purchased the other commercial properties earlier this year.
According to the Delta Archives, the eastern portion of the site was occupied by the Delta Hotel from 1886 until it burned down in 1923. A community hall was constructed on the site in 1926 until it burned down in 1968. Since that time the site, the site has been used as a parking lot, initially for busses and later for public parking.
The western portions of the site was purchased by Doug Massey from the former Delta Freight Lines Ltd and Home Gas Station. In 1978, Massey's Machine & Marine Shop Ltd. and Massey's Marine Supplies Ltd. was established. The lot was purchased in 2003 by Hol Enterprises Inc. and then by the city this year.
Council this year endorsed a recommendation that an economic feasibility study be initiated to evaluate the feasibility of a mixed-use hotel development at the site. Council last month narrowly voted in favour of proceeding to the next phase in seeking an Expression of Interest (EOI) to see who may be interested in developing the site.
Detailed proposals will be sought from one or more proponents on or before Aug. 31, 2025. Final approval and signing of an agreement are expected to occur at the end of 2025.
