If you think you see a house cruising down the road this weekend, your eyes aren’t deceiving you.
Nickel Bros has sent out a notice to residents that a house at 112 Royal Ave. will soon be on the move to its new home at 709 Cumberland St. The move is slated to take place from the evening of Saturday, May 27 until the early morning hours of Sunday, May 28.
During the move, some road closures will be in effect: Royal Avenue – 9 p.m. to midnight; McBride Boulevard (the section between Royal Avenue and East Columbia Street) – 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.; East Columbia Street (between McBride Boulevard and Cumberland Street) – 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.; and Cumberland Street – 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Some residents living in areas where the house will be travelling have been informed their power will be temporarily shut off during the move. People are also being informed of parking restrictions required so the house can be safely moved through their area: (First Street – between Agnes and Vancouver streets, from 7 p.m. Saturday until 12 a.m. on Sunday; and Cumberland Street – between East Columbia and East Durham streets, from 11 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday.
In June 2022, city council supported applications for a heritage revitalization agreement and a special development application that would allow a multiple-unit residential building to be built at 108 to 118 Royal Ave. and 74 to 82 First St. As part of that process, the applicant agreed to relocate the 1930 Henderson House at 112 Royal Ave. to its new home in Sapperton.
“The house is an intact example of an English cottage revival style and is considered to have esthetic and historic value,” said a report to the community heritage commission. “Its notable features include a stucco exterior, front offset gable, chamfered side gabled roof, rear shed dormer and extensive exterior ornamentation. The home is a rare example of the interwar building period, specifically during the Great Depression.”
A staff report noted the Henderson House is part of a heritage revitalization agreement that council had previously approved for 709 Cumberland St. in December 2020. The owner of that property had applied to retain and restore the existing 1911 house at 709 Cumberland St. in exchange for subdividing the property into two lots, and building an additional single detached dwelling on the site.
The project in downtown New West will have 189 strata condo units, with the building being six storeys on the north side and eight storeys on the south side. Redic Developments will also retain the 1890 Woods House at 82 First St.
“The project would be completed over two phases with 77 units developed in the first phase and 91 units developed in the second phase. Of these, 166 are proposed to be within the six storey (from Royal Avenue) to eight storey (from Cunningham Street) wood frame apartment building,” said a report to the community heritage commission. “The remaining two units would be within the renovated heritage house from 82 First St., which would be relocated on-site, restored, and legally protected with a heritage designation bylaw. The apartment building would front Royal Avenue and the heritage house would front First Street.”
