Former Vernon Legion site to face demolition before business licensing

An eyesore of a building on 31st Avenue and 33rd Street will need to face the wrecking ball before the city issues a business licence.

On April 23, councillors expressed support of the former legion location’s conversion into a non-medical cannabis retail store, under the condition of a partial demolition.

According to city staff, the province approved the cannabis retail store in principle, but the tenants of the location will not receive the business licence until the building owner demolishes the building’s west side.

Details about the future of the site were revealed following the Activate Safety Task Force’s recommendation to take remedial action on the site “as a means to deal with the immediate problems of crime, vagrancy, open drug use and prostitution,” and to improve the appearance of the downtown core.