Workers with heavy equipment moved into a residential neighbourhood in the south end of Nanaimo Wednesday morning to demolish the former Hells Angels clubhouse, one of three seized by the province.
A few people watched the demolition of the building, which had been vacant as the property seizure worked its way through the courts.
The building, on a corner lot at 805 Victoria Rd., featured a colourful exterior design of motorcycles.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth called forfeiture of the Hells Angels properties a “significant step” toward putting organized crime in B.C. “on notice.” “We will continue to undermine every effort that criminals make in B.C to profit from their criminal activities.”
In 2007, police raided the Nanaimo clubhouse and the director of civil forfeiture began proceedings to seize the property.
The residentially zoned 5,000-square-foot property is assessed at $282,500, with the bulk of the value — $202,000 — in the land.
Similar proceedings were launched in 2012 to seize the East Vancouver clubhouse, assessed at $1.5 million, and the Kelowna clubhouse, assessed at $1.29 million.
Lengthy legal battles between the motorcycle organization and the province followed. Early this year, B.C.’s Court of Appeal ordered the three properties to be forfeited and title transferred to the province.
Last month, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear an appeal from the Hells Angels about the future of the three sites.
Farnworth said at that time the government “will move to liquidate these properties and use the proceeds to support victims of crime.”
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said the property, which is near a park, would be a “great, great place for housing or a public facility of some value.”
Alexis Petersen, president of the Harewood Neighbourhood Association, said the clubhouse is on a “fairly good-sized lot” suitable for low-income housing.
She is planning to write Premier David Eby suggesting the site be used for such housing.
“We are hoping that because the province owns it, this will happen quite quickly.”
