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Stephen Lyons is spending his last full day in the venue he built.

It was called Merge, and it hosted a bit of everything. He points to a wall that used to have a massive purple velvet curtain and a setup for the jazz bands. A side room was the setting for his favourite avant-garde art installation. One of the last exhibits was a “pre-eulogy” for the venue itself.

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Merge and its neighbour, Index, are the two latest casualties of Vancouver’s struggling independent music scene as high costs and development continue to push them out of town.

The venues, which share an industrial space at 1305 Powell St. on the city’s east side, are being “renovicted” this month by Low Tide Properties, which purchased the property last year.

Lyons said he’s unsure whether they’ll be able to find a new space — let alone afford it.

“It’s stirred up the existential question of whether I can afford to keep doing this,” he said.