In December, The City announced the purchase of two downtown sites, 5021 and 5023 Ross (50) Street downtown with the intent to redevelop the area. Included among those two parcels of land are the Buffalo Hotel and Club Café.
To maximize use of these properties, the buildings will be demolished, and properties primed for redevelopment. Tender for demolition has been awarded to Bettenson’s Sand & Gravel, and the project will begin later this month. The process will start with internal abatement work, with very little impact to roads, sidewalks and neighbouring buildings, and will be followed by more intensive demolition, requiring sidewalk closures, and for a short period, road closures on Ross Street and Gaetz Avenue. Final timelines for demolition will be determined by the abatement work happening first on the site.
“Knowing that redevelopment takes time, we are looking at how we can make use of this great space in the downtown until it is redeveloped,” said Wade Martens, Land Coordinator. “We will be reaching out to local stakeholders to identify what would be most beneficial in the downtown once demolition is complete.”
Once the buildings have been demolished, the site can be combined with existing adjacent City-owned land at 5022 49 Street to offer a prime downtown space for redevelopment.
“Despite their current state, we know the Buffalo Hotel and Club Café both played a significant role in our community’s history, and we want to ensure we preserve that history,” said Martens. “We have had great success in collecting stories, memories and artifacts from residents over the last month and we hope that continues once the demolition process starts.”
The City has purchased these properties as part of plans to address derelict properties and support revitalization in the downtown. The City will keep residents and downtown businesses up to date on any road and sidewalk closures as they are planned. Residents are reminded to stay away from any kind of construction zones, including this one, for their safety.
The City will strive to share photos and key moments in the process of demolition that might be of interest on our website. More information about the project and the collection of memories can be found at www.reddeer.ca/buffalohotel.