BIA BAcks the cIty on the pAttullo
page
3
ResIdent seeks speed Bumps
page
5
pARkAde demo plAn foRged
page
16
fRIdAy
May 30 2014 www.newwestnewsleader.com
POSTMEDIA: AD REFERENC E: SIZE: COLOUR: PROBLEMS?
New West Lead er BCAApostitMay 30NWL Horizontal (2.5” W X 2.5”H) CMYK Production-re lated problem s contact Su
Building burns again
san Holmes (60
4) 268-5181 su
sanholme
Slated for demolition Grant Granger
ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com
Grant GranGer/newsLeader
harm Woldring, owner of the Wine factory, and paul Benton of Westley military supplies say all the downtown construction has been hurting their businesses on front street. they’re upset because they don’t expect it to end for a few years since there are several projects for the area in the works and they’re getting little sympathy from city hall.
Businesses bear the brunt on Front Merchants worry increasing construction disruptions will ruin them Grant Granger
ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com
The Cambie Street fear has struck Front Street. It certainly has Harm Woldring afraid. It makes The Wine Factory owner
fearful of his bottom line. When the Canada Line was constructed in Vancouver prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics, several small businesses on Cambie were financially ruined. The cut-and-cover construction made it inconvenient for their customers. Woldring sees a similar scenario shaping up for Front Street.
CONTACT LENSES 10% CHEAPER
THAN ALL MAJOR SUPPLIERS
COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS
Westminster EYE CLINIC 709 12th St, New 604-519-8686 eyeclinicnewwest.biz •
Several projects already underway have hurt his business and more are on the way. “People are exasperated. Business has been terrible for everybody,” said Woldring. “We’re in exactly the same situation [as Cambie Street].” Last October’s massive fire across McKenzie Street from his business meant a lot of demolition work has
been going on. On the other side, work continues on the Trapp+Holbrook residential project. Woldring says it closes that block of Front four days a week. And next year, the parkade above The Wine Factory will be torn down which will require months of closures. see City puttinG toGether pLan, a4
FLOORING MOULDING | MANTELS | STAIR PARTS Quality and affordable finishing touches for your home
nucasa.com
RICHMOND 604 278 2881
BURNABY 604 294 6666
New Westminster fire investigators were sifting through the ashes to find out what started a blaze that shut down Front Street during the Tuesday morning rush hour. A small fire broke out just before 5 a.m. in a building slated for demolition because of the damage it suffered in the big blaze that rocked Downtown New West last October. Crews were able to put the small fire out quickly and nobody was found inside, said fire chief Tim Armstrong. “It’s too early to tell what the cause was,” said Armstrong on Tuesday morning. Two other buildings next to it were destroyed by fire Oct. 10. The debris from those buildings has been cleared. Although the structure that caught on fire Tuesday remained standing it suffered too much damage and will be demolished. The length of time it’s taken to clear the condemned building bothers Coun. Chuck Puchmayr, chair of the city’s emergency advisory committee. please see site, a3