The old Ponderosa Motel off Harvey Avenue is finally coming down.
So far, crews have knocked down two of the three buildings, with only one rear building remaining at this time. Excavators and remediation crews are at the site putting the wreckage into disposal bins.
Bylaw Services Manager David Gazley says the City gave the demolition order to Witmar Holdings, the property owner, back in September.
“The owner was given 14 days, and I was just going through legal again, because I noticed that there wasn’t much movement on it,” says Gazley. “Before our legal department got back to me, I saw that it was being torn down.”
He says Bylaw Services will be watching the site closely to ensure that it’s being cleaned up quickly and efficiently.
Since closing down in 2011, the motel has been a hotspot for squatters. It’s also gotten110 RCMP complaints, 18 visits by City Bylaw officers, and five different fires.
A recent evaluation of the building revealed that it was in such poor condition that it could only be valued at $100.
As part of the demolition order, if the City had ended up doing the demolition, then Witmar Holdings would have been given the bill.