If you’ve ever dreamt of living in a fire hall, this could be your chance – provided you’re ready for a big renovation.
The City of New Westminster’s former Number 3 fire hall is for sale at a listed price of $1,198,000. The house, located at the corner of East Eighth Avenue and Cherry Street in the Massey Victory Heights neighbourhood, has been used as a single-family home for the past two decades.
According to the listing, the house needs to undergo a “MAJOR rebuilding” or to be torn down as it’s in “very poor” condition.
“Rebuild Firehall Number 3 as a single-family residence and recreate a piece of history in New West,” said the listing. “Great neighbourhood with lovely new homes nearby and well cared for 40s and 50s homes on the street as well.”
Located on a 5,954-quare-foot corner lot at 802 Cherry St., the house was built in the 1940s. Before closing in 2002, it had served as a fire hall for decades.
In 2002, New West firefighters relocated from the former Number 1 hall on Royal Avenue (where Douglas College is now building student residences and services) and the Number 3 hall on Cherry Street into the new $3.5-million Glenbrook Fire Hall on East Sixth Avenue and McBride Boulevard – today’s Number 1 fire hall.
That came after the City of New Westminster sold the Number 3 hall and a former fire hall in Queensborough (a hall at 200 Pembina St. that had been vacant for years) in the fall of 2003 to help with costs associated with the city’s fire hall reorganization plan.
According to Record archives from October 2003, the Cherry Street fire hall sold for $248,500, which was the highest of three bids received for the property. The Queensborough fire hall received one bid and sold for $150,001.
Ownership of both fire halls turned over to their new owners on Dec. 31, 2003.
