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Top Ten Endangered Sites
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(Updated)
Designed in 1932 by Townley and Matheson (the architects who
brought you City Hall), this Kits Beach landmark was built
at a time when period revivals were all the rage. This one
may be the last surviving example of its kind in Vancouver.
Listed as a 'B' on the Vancouver Heritage Register,
the building's neo-Spanish Colonial design, with arched windows
and red-tiled roof, reflects a strong Californian influence
still visible in some homes and storefronts.
In the late 1970s, Inperial Oil closed the station.
The new owners addes a perpendicular wing abutting Cornwall
to accommodate a 7-Eleven store, and the original building
became a restaurant.
Over the years, various restaurants have occupied
the entire building, the most recent being Malon'es Sports
Bar, which now occupies only the 1970s wing. The original
structure is vacant, and the current owner plans to demolish
the entire site to throw up yet another mini mall.
We believe this would be tragic, as the layout
of the existing building is well-suited to multiple tenants.
With the aid of heritage incentives, theowners could achieve
a win-win result: retention of a landmark building and a character
development that would provide a superior return on investment.
Updated 27 October 2006: Having been vacant for several years, the south wing
interior is now under renovations for a new retail tenant – a beachwear store. This means that the building is
fully tenanted and is now unlikely to be in any danger, we hope.
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