Demolition looming for medical office
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A prominent chunk of downtown Vernon real estate could soon fall to a wrecking ball.
Physicians will vacate the Vernon Medical Clinic building on 31st Avenue by Jan. 31, and the owner, the City of Vernon, will likely demolish it.
“We’ve looked at the building and it’s really old and any real work to make it usable will take a lot of money,” said Leon Gous, chief administrative officer.
Staff is currently looking at possible options for the property and it’s expected a report will be presented to council Dec. 14.
“I doubt we will be recommending a parking lot,” said Gous.
“We need green spaces and pedestrian links.”
When the medical building was purchased in 2008 for $1.4 million, city officials stated that the land could serve as a corridor between the civic complex and Cenotaph Park.
Most of the physicians at the clinic, as well as the laboratory, are moving to the old Tolko building on 30th Avenue, next to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
Besides the medical clinic property, the city is also considering what to do with the Bennett parking lot on 29th Avenue.
In 2007, the city proposed selling the parking lot for residential and commercial development.
And while there was expression of interest from some companies, the concept has been shelved for the time being.
“Council decided to leave it until the downtown plan is done,” said Gous of the city looking at long-term land uses for the downtown core.
“The same is happening with the Coldstream Hotel property. The plan will have specific designations for those sites.”
The city paid $780,000 for the Bennett lot in 2001.
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