Demolition crews are now tearing down the Franklyn St. gym and repurposing the gym floor. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

demolition

Demolition begins for burned out Franklyn St. gym in downtown Nanaimo

Jan 27, 2021 | 12:43 PM

NANAIMO — Work has begun tearing down a once valuable community hall for Nanaimo families and those in need.

Demolition of the old Franklyn St. gym in downtown Nanaimo, at the corner of Franklyn and Wallace St., began on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Crews are expected to take down the old building piece by piece in coming days.

The gym housed the Neutral Zone drop-in centre operated by Tillicum Lelum and many community events such as toy drives and flu shot clinics. It sustained fire and water damage in a suspicious fall 2018 blaze.

“It’s a big loss for a non-profit that doesn’t have a whole lot of funds,” Tillicum Lelum executive director Grace Elliott Nielsen told NanaimoNewsNOW in 2018.

“This is going to be a problem for a lot of the families and children at a time when we’re trying to get away from homelessness and poverty,” Nielsen said. “This is going to be another difficulty that is going to hit our community.”

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The Neutral Zone is now operating out of Woodlands Secondary. Elliott Nielsen said attendance was down substantially due to no longer being directly downtown.

The building sat unused for roughly two years before a demolition permit was granted to Nanaimo Ladysmith School District, who owns the land.

Dale Burgos, director of communication with the school district, confirmed the gym floor is relatively undamaged by fire and the elements. It will be installed at Pleasant Valley Elementary School, which is set to be renovated to mitigate earthquake risks.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt