City approves permit applications for demolition of Clarke Street properties damaged by fire

On July 31, 2019, the City of Port Moody issued heritage alteration and demolition permits to the owners of 2407 Clarke Street (the Roe and Abernethy Grocery Store) and 2411 Clarke Street. The buildings on these sites were damaged in a fire that started on July 28, 2019.

A Heritage Alteration Permit is required if an owner wishes to make certain changes, such as altering a building or constructing a new building, to a property that is protected by a Municipal Heritage Designation or located within a Heritage Conservation Area. The building at 2407 Clarke Street was a protected heritage property. Both sites are located within the Moody Centre Heritage Conservation Area, which is included in the City’s Official Community Plan.

As 2407 and 2411 Clarke Street have been deemed unsafe, the City expedited the approval process for the heritage alteration and demolition permits to allow for immediate demolition.

If reconstruction is planned for the sites, any new buildings would need to meet the Moody Centre Heritage Conservation Area development guidelines. These guidelines are intended to assist property owners, residents, merchants, designers, and the City of Port Moody in designing and evaluating proposed restorations and renovations of existing buildings and construction of new buildings in the Moody Centre Heritage Conservation Area.