The city is now offering one dollar for each building, based on independent property appraisals. The city would need to spend another $350,000 to protect the building with security systems and mobile patrols. The City was unsuccessful in negotiating an outright purchase of the Sahota family-owned hotels with the owners.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

VANCOUVER – Following the closure of the Indo-Canadian-owned slum hotels – Balmoral (159 East Hastings Street) and Regent (160 East Hastings Street) Hotels in the Downtown Eastside due to structural and life-safety concerns, Vancouver City Council will vote next week on a recommendation by City of Vancouver staff to expropriate the buildings.

During next Wednesday’s council meeting, the council  will decide whether to expropriate the buildings from the current owners, the Sahota family.

The single-room-occupancy buildings have been empty since the city stepped in over recent years and closed them due to multiple bylaw infractions.

The Balmoral was vacated by its tenants 2017, when the city declared it too dangerous to live in. The same action was taken against the Regent the year later.

The Sahotas had been fined for dozens of bylaw infractions, including failure to maintain walls, ceilings and floors. The Sahotas pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $150,000 in fines plus another $25,000 to local non-profits.

The city also made efforts to buy the buildings last year, but were unsuccessful.

The city is now offering one dollar for each building, based on independent property appraisals. The city would need to spend another $350,000 to protect the building with security systems and mobile patrols.

The City was unsuccessful in negotiating an outright purchase of the hotels with the owners, and the report therefore recommends that Council:

*         Approve the expropriation of each of the buildings

*         Authorize the payment of $1 to the owners for each building based on independent property appraisals obtained by the City

*         Approve $350,000 for each of the buildings to ensure they are secure, through additional building hardware, security systems and on-site and mobile patrols

Council can choose to approve the expropriation of one or both of the buildings, or abandon the process with one or both of the buildings. Council is the approving authority under the Expropriation Act.

The $1 valuation is the result of an independent appraisal and takes into account the costs needed to renovate the buildings.

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart Tweeted his thoughts.

“Next week I’ll be voting yes to expropriate the Regent & Balmoral. They’ve been vacant and in disrepair for too long. We need to bring them back into public ownership & repaired so our most vulnerable neighbours can get off the street,” he says.

The Balmoral boasts the oldest standing neon sign in Vancouver. It’s 90 years old.