A Castlegar landmark is gone.
Demolition crews have torn down the Eremenko Block at Columbia Avenue and Third Street. Work began Thursday and by the end of Saturday, both buildings were gone, leaving piles of rubble in their place.
The department store was designed by Bill Williams, a pre-eminent architect in the West Kootenay in the 1930s and ’40s, and built in 1947-48. It had been vacant since 2006. An adjacent shoe store was built in 1968 and had also long been vacant. The City of Castlegar bought the property in 2021 and plans to redevelop the site for housing.
The demolition work follows the completion of hazardous materials abatement over the last few months.
Temporary traffic and pedestrian changes are in place during demolition. On the 1200 block of 3rd Street, one-way traffic is in effect and the eastbound lane is closed. The sidewalk on the west side of Columbia Avenue is also closed.
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