Demolition of buildings to improve downtown riverfront
June 6, 2025
Three vacant buildings on the Courtenay River will be demolished this summer, improving safety, the environment and community gathering spaces in the city’s downtown.
Demolition of the former Anderton Arms, Cona Hostel and the Bridge Lounge (426 and 440 Anderton Avenue and 90 5th Street) will start this month and is expected to be complete by the end of August 2025.
“We know many in the community have been asking about the timeline for removal of these buildings and plans to improve the area,” said Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells. “We’re glad to be moving to this step — it’s an important one in the wide-ranging work underway to improve our downtown core.”
The City has owned the former nightclub building since 2016. In 2024, the City took ownership of the Anderton Arms apartment building and the Cona Hostel due to safety concerns related to the adjacent retaining wall, which is failing. Demolishing the buildings is the first step in removing the wall. For now, the building foundations will be left in place and fenced off for safety. In a future phase of this project, the wall will be removed and the shoreline will be naturalized.
There will be traffic pattern changes along Anderton Avenue during construction; however, 5th Street and the 5th Street Bridge will not be impacted. Watch for details about closures, which will be shared on the project webpage and social media as they become available.
Demolition of these buildings is part of a broader suite of initiatives supporting the long-term vision for the Courtenay’s downtown hub. Related efforts include upcoming construction of the 6th Street Active Transportation Bridge, planned improvements to 6th Street as part of the Active Corridor project and the Downtown Vitalization Local Area Plan process now underway.
For updates, visit the project’s webpage: courtenay.ca/anderton-wall
Quotes
“We know many in the community have been asking about the timeline for removal of these buildings and plans to improve the area,” said Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells. “We’re glad to be moving to this step — it’s an important one in the wide-ranging work underway to improve our downtown core.”