Wendy Cook is making a last-ditch plea to spare Albion hall from the wrecker’s ball.
“My proposal is to turn the Albion hall into a guild hall for Maple Ridge.”
That would be a place where artisan groups, such as quilters or painters, could meet on different days and sell their wares.
Maple Ridge council recently approved tearing down the old hall because of safety concerns and the cost of renovations. The district took possession of the building March 31 from the Albion Community Association in return for dedicating its market value to a future new building somewhere else in the area.
But Cook says the building doesn’t need any immediate repairs and can be fixed up gradually so the cost is spread out.
She made her pitch to Maple Ridge council on Monday and was told it’s up to Mayor Ernie Daykin to decide whether to bring the item back on to the agenda.
Daykin, though, said he’s not sure that’s possible and that council made the decision to tear it down last fall.
In the meantime, she’s started a petition in support of the idea.
The building is located just north of Lougheed Highway on 240th Street.
“I haven’t talked to anybody that’s against it,” she said.
Coun. Craig Speirs supports taking another look and finding out what the exact costs are to repair the building.
“I think it’s way too much of an icon to throw away like nothing.”
