Losing Pacific Ave. building ‘a shame,’ but safety hazard had to be demolished: Owner

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With its roof partially caved in and several walls ready to tumble down, building owner Jordan Ludwig said that the tear-down of the historic structure at 1421 Pacific Ave. wasn’t much of a choice.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/05/2017 (2500 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With its roof partially caved in and several walls ready to tumble down, building owner Jordan Ludwig said that the tear-down of the historic structure at 1421 Pacific Ave. wasn’t much of a choice.

“It’s a shame to lose a building that has some history in downtown Brandon, but it’s been so neglected for so many years,” he said as a demolition crew worked at knocking down the structure on Tuesday, adding that it was “definitely a safety hazard.”

The building has changed hands a number of times since it was built in the early 20th century, but initially served as a Maple Leaf Milling Co. flour mill, Ludwig said, adding that a rail line used to come right off its north side, hence the building’s long shape.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun
Demolition work on the vacant building at 1421 Pacific Ave. is done by Ballingall Brothers Ltd. on Tuesday.
Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Demolition work on the vacant building at 1421 Pacific Ave. is done by Ballingall Brothers Ltd. on Tuesday.

The building was $23,000 deep into property tax arrears when the City of Brandon auctioned it off in 2015.

It changed hands again this spring, when Ludwig purchased the dilapidated structure, which was located next door to his business, Brandon Business Interiors Ltd.

Despite the structure being boarded up, Ludwig said that people had been prying up the boards in order to enter the building, which was of concern.

An “eyesore” and “safety hazard” for years, he said that the first order of business was to tear it down; a process that was well underway on Tuesday, with the vast majority of the structure beaten down to rubble by mid-afternoon.

Satisfied that the building’s tear-down would do the community some good, Ludwig said that his plans for the property’s future are up in the air.

He’d like to have the property developed as a commercial storefront, however, plans for the effort are currently in their infancy, with a number of hurdles that will need jumping through.

Ludwig said that while he’d like to see it developed as soon as possible, “those timelines are often dictated by people other than me.”

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB

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