Saint John building stripped of heritage title faces demolition despite protest – New Brunswick | Canadian

Built in 1941, the brown building found at 411 King St. E. in Saint John now appears to be living on borrowed time.

The property, owned by J.D. Irving Ltd., had been protected by its location within a heritage area of Saint John’s Uptown — until Monday night’s meeting of Saint John common council saw it removed.

That heritage status previously saved the structure from the wrecking ball in 2016 when the company sought to demolish it for employee parking.

In the years since, the state of disrepair it has fallen into has only worsened.

“When I look at the building now, I see a dump,” says Saint Johner Colin White.

“I see something with a lot of potential that’s been left to decay.”

White spoke at Monday’s public hearing in favour of retaining the structure’s heritage status – a discussion that went on for about two hours, making for the longest council meeting so far this term.

“I have to do what I think is right,” White says, “and what I think is right is not what happened last night.”

Council in the end voted 5-4 in favour of J.D. Irving’s efforts to remove the heritage status, opening the door to demolition.

Coun. David Hickey, whose ward encompasses the property, voted against it but says the outcome was inevitable.

“At the end of the day, if the property owner is unwilling to sell, the building will eventually fall apart and will eventually be brought down either by them or by the city,” said Hickey.

A representative from J.D. Irving was not made available for an interview Tuesday, but a spokesperson detailed the state of decay seen inside the building at Monday’s meeting.

Photos of extensive water damage, rotted floorboards and a room with its entire ceiling caved in were shown.

Critics accuse the company of purposely neglecting the property to accomplish its goal of seeing it levelled.

“The boarded-up part, to me, is a disgrace to J.D Irving,” area resident Monica Byrne said at Monday’s public hearing.

“He’s the wealthiest slumlord in Canada,” she continued before being asked to refrain from name-calling.

Byrne, who says she lives on the street, said the brown building is beloved by her and many others, despite how rundown it’s become.

“I’m still in awe of that building. It’s a spectacular building. It’s at the apex of the heritage area so it’s an eyecatcher,” she said.

It’s not clear when J.D. Irving may move forward with the demolition of the building now that it’s free to do so.

The company says it plans to build a park on the lot. The agreement around that will need to come back before council at a later date.