Well-known heritage home in New Westminster hits the market “as-is, where-is”

A Queen’s Park home that’s caught the eye of numerous community members through the years is on the market.

The 5,108-square-foot property at 239 Fourth St. is home to a 2,068-sq-ft single-family house built in 1893. With its many broken windows, the house has caught the attention of passersby for decades.

The house is now listed for sale at $1,425,000, with the listing stating it’s a “rare opportunity” in New Westminster’s historic Queen’s Park neighbourhood.

“Situated on a prominent corner property, this protected Victorian Gothic style residence offers an exceptional project for a buyer with the experience and vision to undertake a substantial property project,” states the listing. “The dwelling has extensive structural deficiencies, is not suitable for occupancy in its present condition, and requires major reconstruction.”

The listing goes on to say the property is “offered as-is, where-is” and buyers must review the structural condition assessment and heritage values assessment through their Realtor before requesting a showing.

“All rehabilitation, alteration, redevelopment or demolition options are subject to city approval,” states the listing.

Lynn Roxburgh, the city’s manager of housing and land use planning, said the house is a protected property within the Queen’s Park Conservation Area. As the city implements the provincial housing legislation, she said it continues to recognize the purpose of the conservation area: to retain the existing heritage values of the neighbourhood while appropriately managing change and accommodating new housing.

“Given that it is a protected property, we would expect to see this house retained and restored,” she said in a statement to Freshet News. “When we implemented the conservation area, we changed the zoning so that protected properties like this could be given additional density, which can either be used for the house, or where the site allows, a laneway house. For example, a property owner could consider lifting a house to add a basement level or adding an addition to the house to increase the floor space.”

Roxburgh said any renovations to the house would be required to meet the city’s Queen’s Park design requirements, best practices in heritage conservation and renovation, and would require a heritage alteration permit.

As the city has worked to implement the new housing legislation, some community members have voiced concerns it could mean the loss of heritage stock in New Westminster. Freshet News contacted the planning department to question what impact the city’s infill housing program could have on this property.

“This property was not included in the infill program because it is located within a Transit Oriented Development Area; however, recognizing that the conservation area limits opportunities for the eight-storey mid-rise buildings envisioned by the province, we have included infill housing as a permitted use within the Official Community Plan land-use designation,” Roxburgh said. “This means that an owner of a protected property in the Transit Oriented Development Area has the opportunity to apply to the city for a rezoning [or Heritage Revitalization Agreement] to build an infill project, which would enable a greater variety of housing options such as a duplex, or triplex.”

The application would be subject to council’s consideration, including consideration of how effectively the proposal retains the property’s heritage value, Roxburgh said.