WORK continued last week on the demolition of one of three Little Ave. buildings ordered taken down by the city earlier this year.
All that was left of the decaying Second World War vintage building owned by Lloyd Wittkowski late last week were foundations, assorted lumber and a collection of older appliances and furnace duct work.
Wittkowski, using family members and other volunteer labour, has been salvaging what usable lumber there is with every intention of selling it.
“It’s hemlock and they don’t make that anymore,” he said of some of what he has salvaged.
Walls were cut into modular shapes making them suitable, Wittkowski continued, for sheds and smaller outbuilding structures.
He’s also had the help of roofer Mike Brousseau who wants to buy the property with an eye to placing large storage and shipping containers on it to contain both housing and skills training facilities for otherwise homeless men.
The plan surfaced during Brousseau’s candidacy for the BC Conservative party leading up to yesterday’s provincial election.
“It would be a hand up, not a handout,” said Brousseau of his plan.
Brousseau has been providing some equipment and labour, including students from the Mountainview Christian Academy through his connection with the private school.
Wittkowski and Brousseau are now negotiating on a price, with the former saying he believes the property will be worth more than its current assessed value of approximately $40,000 once the structure is completely gone.
Meanwhile, there are no signs of activity at a similar building right next door which the city also wants demolished.