Work on the fire damaged Art Infiniti Hotel in Maple Ridge has stopped. With much of the roof gone and the structure exposed to the elements, residents are asking questions about what is happening with the building.
The hotel at 21735 Lougheed Highway burned on over a year ago, on New Year’s Eve 2020, in the early morning hours.
By February 2021, work was under way repair the building, but since then all scaffolding has been removed, there has been no sign of work in recent months, and neighbours and residents are getting impatient with that has become an “eyesore.”
“It has been more than a year since the fire destroyed the Art Infiniti Motel on Lougheed Highway. Since then no major repairs have been started,” wrote Roger Powley in a letter he sent to both Mayor Mike Morden and The News.
“Since the fire, major storms have destroyed it even further. It sits there as an eyesore that does not reflect well on the community. When will the city insist that it be torn down or replaced?” asked Powley.
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Powley, a longtime Maple Ridge resident, Rotarian and volunteer with the BC Games committee, told The News he would like to see city hall do more to provide amenities, and make the city an attractive destination.
The news has received similar questions from other neighbours of the building, who did not want their names to appear in print.
“The city has not received an application to commence repair work on the hotel,” said a statement from the city. “The city has permitted work to allow the restaurant to reopen. Any enquiries related to the repair of the hotel should be directed to the property owner.”
The News has attempted to contact the owners of the Art Infiniti Hotel by phone and email, without success.
The cause of the fire was determined to have been the building’s mechanical systems. There was extensive damage, but it is a large building, much was intact, and former fire chief Howard Exner characterized the work of his crews as a good save, the day after the fire.
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