When BC Hydro decided to build new headquarters on this block they wanted to acquire all the private property.
The owners of the Del-Mar Hotel were having none of it. They rejected all offers believing it was more important for them to continue to offer clean, affordable accommodation to tenants on limited incomes. And here they stand to this day.
The inscription across the front of building sums up their philosophy.
Several years ago I took an architectural walking tour downtown. The architect leading the tour pointed out the Hydro building as the best example of bad architecture in Vancouver. This is a hell of a statement for a city teeming with architectural eyesores.
