Sharland House’s neighbours come down
The demolition and cleanup of two homes beside the historic Sharland House in the River Flats is underway.
The homes at 515 and 523 Washington Ave. were knocked down Monday morning, as part of plans for a 15-townhouse development by Canadian Urban Building Evolution, which will coincide with CUBE’s restoration of the 100-year-old Sharland home.
The Sharland home was originally McKenzie Grocery and was built in 1912, and was in the process of obtaining heritage status when it was severely affected by the 2013 flood.
The city purchased the Sharland lot for $87,700 under a program to buy lots qualifying for provincial relocation after the 2013 flood. Immediate repairs were necessary, including removing and replacing the original foundation.
CUBE acquired the two Washington Avenue properties, with development plans for a mix of single-storey and multi-storey units, that will be in keeping with the character of homes in the neighbourhood.
A rezoning request has not yet been made.
Asbestos has been removed from both the Sharland house, and the now-demolished homes.
The historic Sharland house will be restored according to Parks Canada's guidelines for historical properties, and either remain a residence or be used as a visitor suite for the complex, or as an amenity building for the townhouse condominiums.