INNISFAIL – The fire-ravaged property at the southwest corner of Bankers Corner in Innisfail has finally been groomed.
The property that was once the home of the 115-year-old Globe Coliseum and the historic Berscht building will once again become a downtown gathering area but not until next year at the earliest.
“Not a lot is happening beyond getting it graded. (Town crews) replaced the barricades at the back, and for the balance of this year it will be maintained as it is,” said Meghan Jenkins, community services director for the Town of Innisfail. “They want to let it settle and make sure that it's going to stay the way it is.
“And then we'll be looking probably next year for some additional investment just to carry on that kind of central gathering area, but no real further construction plans or anything at this point.”
The historical buildings at the corner have a sad history of fires.
In 2009 the Berscht building, located at the corner of 50 Avenue and 50 Street, was levelled by a devastating blaze.
The lot was vacant for several years, until about four years ago when it was turned into a downtown gathering area for special events.
But then in the early morning hours of Aug. 2, 2023, the Globe Coliseum caught fire, leaving several people homeless from four destroyed suites in the top floor and shutting down ground-level businesses.
During the firefighter battle against the blaze, the second-floor roof collapsed but there were no injuries.
The damage to the Globe Coliseum was extensive, and three months later on Nov. 8, 2023, the remains of the stricken heritage building were demolished, leaving a gaping hole on the town’s historical block.
Since the fire the Town of Innisfail has purchased the property but has not yet marketed it to attract investors with development interests.
Jenkins said since the fire and subsequent demolition there has been quite a bit of work done on the property to make it safe and presentable to both the public and potential developers.
The post-demolition work included ATCO Gas “abandoning” a gas line that ran through the property.
“It (gas line) was sticking out of the ground, so you have to get all the permissions, and the right people have to touch those things,” said Jenkins, adding the removal of any and all hazardous materials, such as asbestos, was also addressed.
“Before we purchased the property, there was a due diligence process,” said Jenkins. “But for the building permit for them to demolish, the contractors had addressed any hazardous building material.”
