It only took a few hours to tear down the Departure Bay Activity Centre on Wednesday, Oct. 26. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

demolished

VIDEO: Fire-ravaged Departure Bay hall torn down, site’s future remains unclear

Oct 27, 2022 | 5:30 AM

NANAIMO — A long-term solution isn’t expected any time soon for a now vacant lot where the Departure Bay Activity Centre stood for decades.

The Wingrove St. facility was demolished in a matter of a few hours on Wednesday, Oct. 26 following a damaging fire earlier this year.

Richard Harding, the City’s general manager of parks, recreation and culture, said it’s not known what the property’s future holds.

“Do we look at a longer term rebuild there? Or do we look at working with the school board or others to possibly provide similar space there in other nearby locations,” Harding told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Harding said public consultations to identify potential future uses will go ahead at some point, but he’s unclear when the process will happen.

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A priority project is an ongoing feasibility study for a community centre to serve the city’s south end.

Interim uses for the Wingrove St. property will likely involve increased parking and public access, Harding said, pointing to heavy year-round usage of adjoining Departure Bay Centennial Park.

“The water park of course is very popular, we’ll see what some interim improvements we can do with the building being gone.”

Funding does not exist in the City’s budget for the capital required to rebuild a community centre to serve the Departure Bay area.

An excavator made short work of the charred Departure Bay Activity Centre on Wednesday, with clean up expected to be done by week’s end. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Local resident Angie Kocsi watched on as an excavator tore through the facility.

She was surprised how fast the building was reduced to a pile of debris.

“I couldn’t believe it, one minute it’s there the next minute it’s gone. A bit of history gone from Nanaimo.”

Kocsi said the area deserves a community centre, including seniors who used it regularly.

“It’s a great resource for the community and I certainly hope they replace it with a new building for the community to use.”

A suspicious early morning March 17 fire badly torched the gymnasium-style Departure Bay Activity Centre, displacing numerous user groups.

The City announced in July the facility would be torn down after being informed by its insurer the building was a constructive loss and cannot be repaired.

The Wingrove St. facility was originally built in the 1950s and served as a fire hall.

The building transformed into a recreational venue for seniors, youth as well as providing meeting space for multiple organizations for several decades.

A contractor hired by the City expects the remaining debris from the building to be removed by Friday, Oct. 28.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes