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Demolition of Oak Bay Lodge to take eight months: CRD staff

Workers are expected to begin removing hazardous materials from Oak Bay Lodge in April to prepare for the building’s eventual demolition, a Capital Regional District committee was told Wednesday.
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The 235-bed Oak Bay Lodge, built in 1972, was closed last summer. ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST

Workers are expected to begin removing hazardous materials from Oak Bay Lodge in April to prepare for the building’s eventual demolition, a Capital Regional District committee was told Wednesday.

The remediation and demolition process is expected to take about eight months and conclude in late 2021.

Built in 1972, the 235-bed lodge was deemed to be past its useful life and closed last ­summer. Most residents moved to The Summit, a newly opened building on Hillside Avenue.

The Capital Regional Hospital District launched a consultation process last month to gather the public’s ideas on possible future uses for the four-acre property at 2251 Cadboro Bay Rd.

Open houses were held on Jan. 21 and Jan. 26, and people were encouraged to submit an online feedback form. The consultation process concludes today.

The hospital district has said it will look at ways to use the site for health care before it considers other uses.

A health unit, a primary care centre and a seniors hub with a variety of housing options have all been touted as potential uses for the site.

It’s also possible that the district would consider a development with a mix of health care, housing, commercial and other uses, the district says.

The district’s hospitals and housing committee recommended Wednesday that the board award a $46,000 contract to Unitech Construction ­Management to oversee the remediation and demolition ­process.

Staff said the full cost of remediation and demolition could range from $1.5 million to $2 million.