Demolition of Winters Hotel in Gastown starts late Tuesday


Demolition equipment is due to arrive late Tuesday at the hotel at the corner of Abbott and Water streets

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Work crews from the City of Vancouver will begin demolishing the fire-ravaged Winters Hotel in Gastown on Tuesday.

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Demolition equipment is due to arrive late in the day at the hotel at the corner of Abbott and Water streets, with dismantling set to start on Wednesday morning. It’s expected the demolition will be finished on Thursday.

“The city will make every effort to finish the demolition as quickly as possible, with all safety precautions in place, as we appreciate this is a significant disruption to residents and businesses,” the communications office said in a news release.

Most businesses in Gastown will be able to operate as usual throughout, while buildings, streets and sidewalks in the immediate area of ​​the demolition should reopen as early as Friday.

Businesses in the building at 203 Abbott St. are being given support, and the city is working with them to retrieve items from their units after a third-party engineering assessment was finished this morning.

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Dust and debris from the demolition process will be minimized with fire crews hosing down the area, but the public is advised to stay clear of the demolition site throughout. Businesses and residents in the area of ​​the hotel are urged to close all windows, turn off vents and move items inside.

Power will be disconnected to some buildings in the vicinity for part of Wednesday. BC Hydro is notifying affected customers directly.

Abbott Street is fully closed between Water Street and Blood Alley, and the closure will extend from Blood Alley to Cordova Street today. Other road closures for equipment and waste removal are likely and will be posted.

Noise from a large excavator and other equipment and falling debris should be expected, and will continue into the evening as crews work as quickly as possible to complete the demolition.

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