Saint John city councillors have approved the demolition of two vacant buildings that are no longer in use.
An abandoned home on Pitt Street in the city’s uptown and another building off Sandy Point Road will soon see the wrecking ball.
“Saint John has a number of dilapidated buildings,” says Coun. Bill Farren. “Council has approved the demolition of two buildings that were considered dangerous to the public.”
Vacant buildings have been a common issue in Saint John for many years. Some of the homes have owners that are believed to have died, and their families are uninterested in the properties.
Other homeowners have simply up and left, leaving their homes behind.
The Saint John Fire Department says there are roughly 100 vacant buildings in the city, each of which poses a risk.
Saint John Fire Chief Kevin Clifford says demolition is always the last resort, but when it comes to safety, taking old buildings down is always the safer bet.
“With unoccupied buildings, you don’t know if there’s people that are squatting inside the building,” says Clifford. “I talked about the hazard of the buildings itself. People using that building for storage of things you wouldn’t find, whether it be propane cylinders or storage of gas and tires, all those things can become a larger fire.”
The price tag on tearing down a dilapidated building typically runs from $15,000 to $20,000. The city pays the cost initially, but is then reimbursed by the province.
A date for demolition of the buildings is expected to be set soon.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Dunbar
