After months of waiting, progress has been made in resolving the state of the old Boot and Jean building in downtown Drumheller. The result will irrevocably change the face of downtown Drumheller.
The Boot and Jean building has been blocked off for months. The Town of Drumheller recently secured a court order to have the building demolished, stating the building is an eyesore and dangerous. The demolition deadline is November 20.
On October 24, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench issued an order, applied for by the Town of Drumheller, for the demolition of the Boot and Jean building.
The sidewalk in front of the building, which is located across the alley from Vintage Pub and Grill, was closed down earlier this year due to concerns the building was deteriorating and posed a substantial health risk.
The court order declares the Boot and Jean building “unsightly and a dangerous premise.”
“It was inspected and deemed dangerous, so the sidewalk had to be closed to protect the public,” said Mayor Terry Yemen.
Yemen hopes the demolition could spur new development.
“The best-case scenario is we take down an eyesore and get a brand new building downtown, with, hopefully, a new business,” said Yemen.
The Boot and Jean property is currently owned by Chris, Peter, and Evan Pappas. When contacted by The Mail, Evan stated their intention was to comply with the order, though they disagree with the decision. Evan stated the three have no plans to develop the property afterwards.
“For five years it was empty and there was never an issue. Then the brick starting coming off, because of the (new) asphalt. It was never an eyesore up until a year ago when they were building parking in behind there and then, all of the sudden, they have an issue with the Boot and Jean building, calling it an eyesore,” said Evan.
Yemen stressed the court order for the Boot and Jean building does not mean they will take similar action with other properties in Drumheller.
“It doesn’t set a precedent. The ability to do this has always been there,” said Yemen. “In these cases we try to work with the property owners to find the best solution.”
The court order has a deadline of November 20 for the demolition.