A demolition permit has been issued for a Cook Street apartment ravaged by fire.
The city would like to see owner Robin Kimpton demolish the property at 2321 Cook St. within 30 days, said spokeswoman Katie Hamilton. If that is not done, the city can move in, demolish the building and collect the cost through the tax rolls.
The building, which had sat vacant and boarded up for a decade, was declared unsafe after a fire in mid-June.
Prior to the fire, neighbours complained the building was being used by squatters.
The city ordered Kimpton to board up the windows and erect a fence around the property in April 2013. The city has also cleaned up graffiti and waste on the property, billing the owner.
The three-storey walk-up apartment building sits on a 6,361-square-foot lot and was built in 1913, property assessment records show.
Its assessed value is $536,000. The land is valued at $419,000 and the building at $117,000.
Kimpton, who ran unsuccessfully for Victoria council in 2011, owns several properties in the city.
