The owner of the Steveston Hotel wants its heritage status removed and to tear down the 1940s north-side addition in order to build “affordable housing.”
The Steveston Hotel, formerly known as the Sockeye Hotel, is part of the Steveston Heritage Conservation Area. The original hotel was built in 1897 but it was added on to in the late 1940s.
The newer section housed the Buck and Ear Pub, which closed permanently in May.
In a letter to city staff, Demetre lazos states the owners are planning to “develop this property into a rental apartment building which will provide affordable housing to the area.”
In its report to city council, city staff don’t recommend any changes to the heritage status of the building.
“The opportunity to restore the historic hotel building and further develop the property should be explored through a heritage planning process,” the report reads.
This sentiment is echoed by the Steveston Historical Society.
“As a physical heritage asset, the Steveston Hotel would rank near the very top of designated heritage structures that have social, cultural and economic significance related to Steveston's evolution over many decades, representing numerous eras,” stated co-chairs Linda Barnes and Joanne Teraguchi in a letter to the city.
They go on to say the social and community value of the Steveston Hotel as a “gathering place need also to be considered in any future planning.”
Earlier, the owners of the Steveston Hotel stated they planned to build five boutique hotel rooms in the former Buck and Ear space.
The report about the Steveston Hotel is coming to next week’s city council planning meeting.
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
📲 To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter.
💬 Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
