Heritage items from fire-damaged Victoria building to be salvaged

Very little of the heritage building on Government Street survived when a fire tore through the former Plaza hotel in the heart of Victoria's downtown last month.

But the city has found a way for some historic features of the building to live on when a new development rises on the site.

Due to the building's heritage designation, an alteration to its permit was required before the owner could clear debris and demolish the few exterior walls left standing.

City councillors voted Thursday to grant the owner permission to bring the building down on the condition the few unique heritage features that survived the inferno are inventoried, salvaged and stored for future use.

Those include structural old-growth timbers, white glazed brick, polished granite and cast iron columns, and glass sidewalk prisms that are a historic feature in Victoria's old town.

While the building was modified many times over the decades since it was built in 1910, and it was vacant at the time of the fire, it holds an important place in the city's history, said John O'Reilly, heritage planner for the City of Victoria.

"Behind the alterations was a building designed in a unique architectural style that contributed to the streetscape in old town for many years in addition to representing an important era in the city's history," O'Reilly said.

The building was destroyed by a suspicious fire in early May. The structure burned for days, choking the downtown core with acrid smoke, before fire crews managed to extinguish the flames.

The caretaker of the long-vacant hotel, Mike Draeger, has not been seen since the fire and was known to stay in the building.

Experts were brought in to scour the charred rubble in the weeks that followed, but no remains were found and the site has been released back to the owner.

• Experts search rubble of former Victoria hotel following suspicious fire

Heritage advocates are applauding the city's decision to require remaining heritage elements be salvaged.

The building was originally built as the Hotel Westholme and was an icon in the downtown, said historian Glen Mofford who wrote about the history in his book Aqua Vitae: A History of the Saloons and Hotel Bars of Victoria, 1851-1917.

"It's such a shame the place burned down, but there are good pieces in that place that could certainly be preserved," Mofford said.

"At the time, it was very magnificent. If you can save anything out of that building, it's definitely worthwhile."

The property is currently considered a safety hazard and is surrounded by a metal fence. Sidewalk access around the building is also still restricted.

Shops and businesses in the block are anxious to see the street returned to normal.

City staff told council the owner of the property plans to apply for a demolition permit immediately to start work to clear the site.