The walls of one of Princeton's oldest buildings will soon be coming down.
At the June 18 regular meeting, council awarded the Masonic Hall Demolition Project to CC Contracting for $57,750. Council also approved a 10 per cent contingency, for a project total expenditure of $63,525.
The existing building on 187 Vermilion Avenue is more than 80 years old and has undergone little to no upgrades or major repairs throughout its lifetime, and as a result, is in a state of disrepair. The hall has the potential to collapse under heavy snow or during extreme wind events.
"The building has significantly deteriorated," Princeton manager of civic works Jared Thomas said. "Its failing dirt foundation and sagging roof have severely compromised the structural integrity, rendering restoration no longer practical or feasible."
CC Contracting is a locally-based company and submitted the lowest bid last year. However, the recommendation to award them the contract was not approved, as their bid was over budget. A request for an updated quote was sent this year.
"Upon looking into what materials we could haul to our local municipal-owned landfill, the abatement came in at a substantially lower rate due to much lower transportation expenses," Thomas said.
The project cost will be paid through Surplus Operational Revenue in the 2025-2029 Financial Plan.
Demolition will begin as soon as gas and electric services from FortisBC are shut off and disconnected at the property.