The Barry Hotel saga

[Ruckus]

The Barry is Sold
By Tim Amey
Updated March 10, 2008 - 5:23pm



The Barry Hotel is ready to change hands. Owner Shoshana Goldstien and her real estate agent are confirming there is a deal in place for April 1st, but are not giving any details. Goldstien goes as far as to say a down payment has been handed over, but maintains the sale can still collapse. In an earlier conversation Goldstien said she and L and L holdings Larry Bozek are close to an agreement. She believes he has applied for mortgage for the 20th street hotel. Bozek applied for the license back in January and is still waiting for a public hearing. He also refused to comment. Bozek wants to rename the Barry the Lorje Place Hotel.

Source

[1ajs]

so its safe from the recking ball then? err almost?

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

so its safe from the recking ball then? err almost?

I think the sale may be contingent upon a successful appeal to the city's fix-or-destroy order. Repairs or demolition are required by July 31 under the current order. The appeal hearing is scheduled for March 26. The appointed board members (comprised of five neighbourhood residents appointed by city council) must respond to the appeal within 30 days.

If the sale is contingent upon the appeal response, then the parties involved assume a decision will be made within 4-6 days, or from the appeal hearing date of March 26th to the sale agreement completion date of April 1st.

If the appeal board grants more time, or changes the demands of the order to reflect new ownership of the hotel, that'd be awesome. However, the new owners have applied for a liquor license and as a result many people (Sask. Liquor and Gaming Association grants liquor licenses and received more than 60 objections to the application) have voiced their opinions against the bar receiving a liquor license. The SLGA has hearings scheduled in Saskatoon in April which will allow proponents and opponents to express themselves (it will also bring forward many other issues concerning the area beyond just the Barry Hotel. I expect it to be an enlightening experience, to hear what people think of the neighborhood. The hearing and general discussion surrounding this whole saga might also hint at the speed of the area's progression from ghetto to great).

Barry's continued presence on 20th Street: Scenarios

Likely:
The city alters the fix-or-destroy order thereby facilitating the sale of the property; the new owners receive approval of their liquor license application --> the building will be saved from the wrecking ball.

OR

Also likely:
The city alters the fix-or-destroy order thereby facilitating the sale of the property; the new owners are denied their liquor license application then perhaps the building will be saved from the wrecking ball but the building will require a new tenant for the ground floor???

OR

Also likely:
The city does not alter the fix-or-destroy order thereby hindering the sale of the property; current owner(s) choose to demolish or the city assumes the property (owed taxes).

******

I am sure there are a few other scenarios, but these are what immediately spring to mind.

[1ajs]

whats wrong with the building that a fight has ensued?

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

whats wrong with the building that a fight has ensued?

A combination of factors. Most notably the fact that in 2006 (or maybe it was 2007) the police responded to 600 calls relating to the Barry (drunk patrons are rowdy?); there's also unpaid property taxes ~ $150,000 IIRC; building and it's patrons are loathed by many because of it's notorious reputation or blight on 20th Street and the Riversdale neighborhood.

That about sums it up

[1ajs]

ooo ok

[macca]

Barry Hotel Slated For Demolition
By Benson McCulloch
Updated March 12, 2008 - 5:50am


The Barry will soon be nothing more than a hole in the ground.

News Talk Radio broke the news Dr. Tom Maltman takes possession on the Barry Hotel April 1st and plans to tear it down.

However his real estate agent is worried the city could stand in the way of demolishing the hotel on the corner of Avenue B and 20th because of a recent inspection citing mold and structural problems.

City Councillor Pat Lorje, a vocal critic of the establishment, can't see why the city would want to block the destruction of the Barry Hotel.

She says it's great someone is willing to come in and development a valuable piece of real estate in the neighbourhood.

Lorje is also looking forward to seeing the end to all the social problems associated with the Barry Hotel
____________________________________________________

DAMN IT. I am having violent thoughts about Pat Lorje.

[circle33]

I guess it all depends on what plans Dr. Maltman has for the site.

If it's overflow parking for the market or some mediocre 1 storey with parking out front, then I curse his name.

[Ruckus]

Interesting, I doubt we'll see something built there immediately after demolition...maybe in 2-5 years...unless the city gives them a nice incentive for new construction???

[Ruckus]

Buyer to close Barry Hotel bar
Future uncertain for notorious hotel
Darren Bernhardt, The StarPhoenix
Published: Wednesday, March 12, 2008

The Barry Hotel will no longer be a bar or a hotel.

Just what it will be -- or whether it will continue to exist at all -- is yet to be decided by the new owner.

The StarPhoenix has learned Dr. Tom Maltman, a Saskatoon veterinarian, made an offer to purchase the building at the corner of Avenue B and 20th Street. The sale price has not been disclosed but the offer, put forth at the beginning of March, has been accepted by owner Shoshana Goldstein. All that remains is the paperwork.


Local veterinarian Dr. Tom Maltman has presented an offer to purchase the Barry Hotel
Richard Marjan, The StarPhoenix

"It'll be closed down as a bar and hotel," said Maltman, who also owns the Adilman building at the same intersection, kitty-corner to the Barry. "You hate to say anything bad about anyone or anything, but in its present state I don't think the Barry is good for anybody."

Maltman said he is considering all the options for the hotel, which has been the subject of controversy for many years, gaining a reputation as a rough drinking spot. Police were called to the hotel about 600 times in 2007.

"This is a great area (of the city). It's an area of rejuvenation and that's a good thing," said Maltman. "There's lots that could be happening there and I want to see what develops and what opportunities come about. Whatever is done (with the Barry), in the long run it will be good for everybody."

Goldstein could not be reached for comment Tuesday. City Coun. Pat Lorje, who was adamantly opposed to the Barry bar, is celebrating Maltman's ownership.

"That is very good news. It sounds like the best thing possible has happened," she said. "But I guess I won't see Chateau Lorje up in lights after all."

Larry Bozek, whose L & L Holdings was negotiating to buy the hotel earlier in the year, was considering changing the name to Lorje Place. He went so far as to publish a notice in The StarPhoenix, when he was seeking a liquor licence, calling the site Lorje Place. His purchase of the property was contingent on getting that licence to reopen the bar and off-sale. He admitted taking some offense to Lorje's disapproval, which prompted the name suggestion.

A public hearing on the Barry liquor permit application is supposed to be held soon, possibly at the next liquor and gaming licensing commission meeting in Saskatoon in April. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority received 60 objections to Bozek's application.

When reached by phone at his home in Wynyard, Bozek said he is still waiting for a hearing date to be set. He also considered himself still in the running for the hotel's ownership.

"It's possible this other guy could buy it but as far as I know he hasn't paid yet," Bozek said. "If he does buy it, I guess I'm out. It's all up in the air still."

As a property owner in the neighbourhood, Maltman has been following the debate about the Barry. He disliked the idea of seeing the bar being re-opened and when "a window of opportunity came along" to make an offer on the property, he jumped at it.

The City of Saskatoon was also a potential buyer at one time. That deal, which called for the bar to close its doors, collapsed after an environmental assessment of the property found conditions that would likely have escalated the cost of demolition. Lorje, whose ward includes the hotel, was among several councillors who expressed interest in seeing the Barry demolished.

"I look forward to working with (Maltman) to make that corner of 20th Street a very positive place for people to come to," she said Tuesday. "It is up to him to decide whether it can be renovated or needs to razed, but I'm very hopeful good things will happen from here."

Shortly after Bozek began negotiating with Goldstein, the city registered an order against the property title demanding the owner conduct major structural repairs and extensive interior renovations or totally demolish the building by July 31. Goldstein has since filed an appeal against that order with the property maintenance appeal board.

In her appeal, she noted the time being allowed to remedy "the alleged contraventions" is insufficient for her to get contractors and an engineer to perform the work. There are also 60 long-term residents who would be rendered homeless if the building is torn down, she stated. The appeal hearing is set for March 26.

Maltman didn't comment on the Barry's structural condition but did say he is sensitive to the issue of the residents and is "letting her (Goldstein) deal with that. It's in her court."

Maltman said he hopes to have the title to the property very soon.

"In the end, I think this is going to be just a positive thing for the area," he said.

"There are a lot of very good things happening on the west side of Saskatoon right now and (Maltman's intent to keep the bar closed up) is a great part of the story of the village of Riversdale rising like the phoenix," Lorje said.

dbernhardt@sp.canwest.com

Source

********

rising like the phoenix

[Echoes]

Barry to be torn down; residents must move out
Darren Bernhardt and Stephanie Classen, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, March 13, 2008

The prospective new owner of the Barry Hotel plans to rip down the aging building after taking possession on April 1.

"It's in extremely rough shape. (Problems include) things like fire escapes and doors off the hinges . . . you name it," said Kelly Kehoe, real estate agent for Saskatoon veterinarian Dr. Tom Maltman, whose purchase offer has been accepted and signed by present owner Shoshana Goldstein.

"If you were going to keep it you'd have to have fairly deep pockets to fix this thing up and make something out of it," Kehoe added.

The decision is receiving mixed reaction from local businesspeople, long-term residents of the Barry and patrons of its bar. One disconsolate resident said greed and money is trumping compassion. The man, who didn't want his name used, said he'll have to live in his car -- where he did once before -- because there's no affordable places in Saskatoon.

But his vehicle, parked behind the Barry, has had its windows smashed and tires slashed.

"What am I supposed to do? I'm on disability and the rents here are ridiculous," said the man, who leaned on a cane and was consoled by a friend's hug outside the Barry's entranceway.

Bar patron Darlene Ross lamented the impending loss of her "rendezvous place." For 15 years she has been going to the Barry watering hole, where she always finds her friends.

"You just drop in and for sure there's going to be someone you know," she said. "Where are they going to go now? Are they going to hit up some classy place? I don't think so. I don't know where I'll see these people again."

The cost of living in Saskatoon is driving Barry resident Gail Fehr to live in Kindersley.

"I knew when I first moved in six months ago that it might be sold but I didn't think things would happen that fast," she said. "It's kind of a shame because it's a landmark, but it does need work.

Fehr's ceiling is constantly dripping from rain or melting snow. Her biggest complaint is the confusing messages from management over the past month. Tenants were given notice on March 1 advising them to vacate by month's end. The next day, a new message told them to ignore the first, according to Fehr. A week later, a new message stated the first vacancy notice was back in effect.

"They don't tell us nothing," said the man with the cane. "The only time we hear anything is from the media. They say they care about the tenants but all they care about is money. There's a bunch of people who are about to be on the street with nowhere to go. What about that?"

Goldstein has stated there are some 60 residents in the Barry.

"We bought the building with what we call vacant possession," said Kehoe. "We wanted to be sensitive to anyone that was in there, of course, but it's our understanding that the tenants were given notice as of March 1 for a (March) 31 vacancy. From our perspective, and I can speak for Tom, we want the building and we want vacant possession as of April 1 and it would appear that's what we're getting."

Maltman, who also owns the Adilman building at the same intersection of Avenue B and 20th Street, is undecided about what to do with the property once the building is razed. The fact the bar and hotel will be gone is enough for some area businesspeople to celebrate.

"It's good. It's good," said a smiling Binling Li, who owns a Chinese grocery on 20th Street with her husband, Qingyang Wu.

The couple spoke of drunk people urinating on the store and sleeping outside the back door. Wu has chased thieves from his store into the hotel and has witnessed others jumping from windows of the Barry onto his store's roof, then running across it.

The couple is routinely picking up discarded intravenous needles and apologizing to customers who park out back and return to find their car windows smashed.

Brad Kjargaard, owner of Riversdale Plumbing and Heating, which faces the Barry from across Avenue B, called it a "pity" the old building will be demolished but understands the decision.

"It wouldn't be feasible to use it as is for another business. You can't do much with it unless you turn it into another hotel, which is not something anyone wants in the neighbourhood," he said. "I suppose you can't have renewal without destruction."

But Lee Bolger, manager of Boomtown Outfitters, questions just how much better off the area will be, citing Maltman's choice to turn the Adilman Building in the same neighbourhood into a bingo hall.

"It's one thing for property to change hands but it's another thing to use it to build a community," he said. "A bingo hall doesn't do that. It's not a positive development, not what you think of when revitalizing an area.

"It's good to see the bar go but if he doesn't have a plan for the property, why is he buying it? If he's just speculating on real estate that doesn't contribute either."

Bolger said he is growing weary of hearing the talk about the area's renewal without seeing it happen. Nearly two years ago, the business improvement districts of Riversdale, Broadway and downtown, partnered to create a Cultural Crescent. The idea is to promote and enhance their unique attractions and heritage.

"Where's the momentum on that?" asked Bolger. "There's a lot of ideas but nothing's getting done."

dbernhardt@sp.canwest.com


© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2008

Source

I understand that the building is in an extreme state of disrepair but it's still a pity that it will be torn down. It would have been wonderful to see the Barry re-born in an innovative and exciting way. It's good at least that the bar will close and Riversdale will certainly benefit from that alone.

I would be more excited by this sale and demolition if the new owner gave any idea as to what he has planned for the soon to be vacant property. There is the chance that he has hopes to construct a landmark development. Or, there's also the risk that just a crummy strip mall will go in its place.

I have my doubts after seeing what he put in the Adilman. A bingo hall? Yippee. What happened to the plans for office, retail and a (respectable) pub he made reference to when he bought it?

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by Country

Source

I understand that the building is in an extreme state of disrepair but it's still a pity that it will be torn down. It would have been wonderful to see the Barry re-born in an innovative and exciting way. It's good at least that the bar will close and Riversdale will certainly benefit from that alone.

I would be more excited by this sale and demolition if the new owner gave any idea as to what he has planned for the soon to be vacant property. There is the chance that he has hopes to construct a landmark development. Or, there's also the risk that just a crummy strip mall will go in its place.

I have my doubts after seeing what he put in the Adilman. A bingo hall? Yippee. What happened to the plans for office, retail and a (respectable) pub he made reference to when he bought it?

Faint rumor/speculation on what might develop there according to Omega_5 over at 306motorclub.com

Originally Posted by Omega_5

According to a semi-reliable source, he's going to be putting an apartment / condo structure there, as he did with the last few places he bought and tore down.

Source - Post #4

I'm not familiar with Tom Maltman and his past development projects, any ideas on what he may have been involved with in the past?

[joelpiecowye]

goodbye barry,
at least the booze will be gone there and riversdale might have a change to clean itself up

[molasses]

any updates on this????

The rumors I've heard are that it is to be torn down quite soon....and, at least for the time being, be turned into a parking lot.

Such great news for the neighbourhood!!!!

[macca]

So far we've had really good luck with "temporary" parking lots.

[circle33]

Heard on the radio this am:

All tenants are out, the place has been emptied. The owner will not comment future plans.

[CCF]

Originally Posted by circle33

Heard on the radio this am:

All tenants are out, the place has been emptied. The owner will not comment future plans.

He did say that there would be no bar though.

[1ajs]

interesting...

[Ruckus]

Auction sale delays Barry Hotel changeover: Realtor
Stephanie Classen, TheStarPhoenix.com
Published: Tuesday, April 01, 2008

SASKATOON - The Barry Hotel was expected to change hands Tuesday, but new owner Dr. Tom Maltman has yet to receive keys to the building, his Realtor said.

Kelly Kehoe, an agent with Realty Executives Commercial, said Maltman, a Saskatoon veterinarian, was supposed to take possession on April 1. An auction sale that previous owner Shoshana Goldstein plans to hold this week may be causing confusion, he added.

"We expected that we were going to be getting the keys to this building today and we have not yet received them," Kehoe said. "I'm just waiting for a call from them (ICR Commercial Real Estate) to see what the deal is."

Terry McDougall of McDougall Auctioneers was at the hotel Tuesday cataloguing items for the sale. Some of the Barry artifacts up for grabs include restaurant and bar equipment, neon signs, pool tables, bedroom furniture, a cigarette machine and a single-car garage.

McDougall said his company was approached by Goldstein last Friday about holding the sale.

"We sell for the folks that did own the property originally so in their respect it's just to obtain a little bit of money out of what's left here," he said. "In addition to that it's maybe just of public interest for people to come in here and buy a little something. . . . Generally people that have never wanted to come into the place or never had the opportunity will likely want to come out."

A public viewing of the items for sale is scheduled for today from noon to 5 p.m. The auction will take place from 11 a.m. until about 3 p.m. on Thursday, with everything being removed from the property by 5 p.m. Friday.

Meanwhile, the Barry's closure has forced the building's approximately 60 residents to find other lodging. Barry tenants were given notice by management on March 1 for a March 31 vacancy.

Jordan Cooper, resident co-ordinator at the Salvation Army, said former Barry inhabitants started coming to the facility two weeks ago.

"Because we have the dining hall here we have a relationship with many of them anyway," he said. "Last week I went over to the Barry and distributed a flyer just reminding them that us, the Lighthouse and the YWCA were options they could explore."

Cooper said five or six people have come to the Salvation Army from the Barry so far, including a couple on Monday - the day the hotel officially closed.

Because of the pre-existing relationship between the Salvation Army and the displaced Barry residents, Cooper said the transition from one location to another has been relatively easy.

"They're familiar with our staff here and with the other residents so it is a bit of a close community in that regard," he said.

Cooper added the facility provides lodgers with resources to seek out places to live, although financial constraints mean some stay longer than others.

"Some of them because they were long-term here before have expressed comfort in staying here, but some are quite anxious to find their own place again," he said.

Cooper said the facility was prepared for quite a few more people to show up Monday night and there is still space should anyone else need a place to stay.

At Lighthouse Supported Living, formerly Capri Place, a spokesperson said no one from the Barry has come to stay at the 20th Street and Second Avenue building. She added a person must be approved by social services or the Salvation Army before they can stay at Lighthouse, a residence for low-income individuals and people with long-term disabilities. If a person isn't approved, they must pay for their room upfront, the spokesperson said.

A demolition date has not been set for the controversial Barry Hotel property. Kehoe said Maltman still needs to figure out details including which company will demolish the building. Though Maltman has given much thought to a new purpose for the location he hasn't reached a final decision.

sclassen@sp.canwest.com

Source

[drm310]

Sign of the times on 20th Street
Barry Hotel demolition welcomed by many people; not solution to all problems

By Lori Coolican
December 5, 2008

Most people didn't notice when a piece of Saskatoon's past disappeared from the skyline Thursday morning.

Hardly anyone stood in the chilly wind to watch demolition crews take down the rooftop sign from the once-grand, now-notorious Barry Hotel on 20th Street.

People who work at the handful of store-front shops and service agencies still doing business in the immediate vicinity say the closure of the old hotel's bar and cut-rate apartments has made little difference to the character of the area.

"Life on 20th Street is much the same," said John Thelander, business manager of Building a Nation Family Healing Centre, located just a few doors east. "The alleys still have lots of traffic."

Thelander admitted feeling some nostalgia as the rotating sign disappeared from the top of the three-storey hotel, recalling the days when his parents lived in Riversdale decades ago and the hotel's reputation was a positive one.

But Building a Nation provides outreach services for poverty-stricken people, many of them struggling with alcohol and drug abuse, and in recent years many of its clients have lived at the Barry or hung out there.

"We got a lot of the damage . . . so it's not a bad thing to lose," Thelander said. "We see the walking wounded."

The hotel's demise didn't magically solve the problems plaguing its former customers. Many of them have simply adopted another bar farther to the west and they still use 20th Street as their pedestrian route into the downtown, Thelander noted.

"We want to be part of the solution, and we're still here."

Across the street from the Barry, staff at Boomtown Outfitters are preparing for the outdoor sports equipment store's permanent closure early in the new year.

Manager Lee Bolger predicted the hotel site will stand as an empty parking lot for about five years after the demolition is complete. He would rather see the existing structure redeveloped as quality affordable housing instead of torn down and replaced with new condominiums and retail space, he said.

"Maybe it's worth it financially (to build condos), I guess, but without consulting the community it's a different story."

City planners, developers and real estate investors have built a lot of hype about revitalizing the area, but on the ground things look far less rosy, Bolger said, noting several other businesses in the two-block area around the Barry have closed their doors recently.

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