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Spencer has also been frustrated by Coastal Health sitting on the building, which heritage advocates call “demolition through neglect.”

“A lot of people in the community have gone to them and said, ‘Can we rent it? Can we use it temporarily?’ ” she said. “And it’s basically been no, no, no. They’re not that interested.”

Heritage expert Don Luxton thinks the goals of the proposed new building are fine. But he doesn’t understand why it has to built on the site of a unique heritage building.

“There’s lots of other places to put their facility, (but) there’s no other place down there left that is a purpose-built assembly hall,” he said. “What is the area crying out for? Not more (social) housing — there’s lots of housing being built, that’s all that’s being built in that area.

“What are (Downtown Eastside residents) going to do? What else are we going to have in the neighbourhood? It’s clearly identified by many proponents that there is a crying need for cultural facilities in the area.”

Luxton rejects the argument that the building has deteriorated to the point where it has to be torn down.

“It’s concrete,” he said. “A reinforced concrete building could be repurposed quite readily. The current condition of the finishes and interiors makes no difference.”

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Luxton also thinks the old Sally Ann might be the last and best chance for a DTES arts or community centre.

“Nobody’s ever going to build new,” he said. “If you build a new cultural facility, it’s going to cost you more.”

The health authority purchased the building for $1.5 million in 2001. The Salvation Army used it as its local headquarters from 1950-1984, when it was sold to the Gold Buddha Monastery, which operated there for 17 years.

The building was designed by architects Mercer and Mercer, which built Vancouver institutions such as the Shaughnessy Hospital and the Waldorf Hotel. Legend has it that Jimi Hendrix played at the temple in his teens with a Salvation Army band.

The City of Vancouver said it hadn’t received a development permit application for 301 East Hastings, so couldn’t comment on any plan for the site. But Lindsay Byers of the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said in an email that construction on the new building “will start in late 2018 and is estimated to be completed in late 2020.” The ministry is giving $15.7 million to the project.

jmackie@postmedia.com

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