After a thorough inspection, it seems there is no other option than to demolish the Atwood Men’s Club.
It sits on the Main Street in Atwood.
North Perth Interim Manager of Recreation Amy Gangl said the municipality was given the keys to the building on March 29. But after an inspection it was determined the Atwood Men's Club could not be repaired.
“When I went into that building, I went in thinking about the people that would use it,” said Gangl. “The floor joists have either rotted or broken, so the floor goes down about 10 to 14 inches lower than the level of the floor. There’s no heating. The only plumbing available is an old wooden privy.”
Inspectors were not able to enter one room due to safety concerns.
As well, Gangl noted there were falling bricks from the side of the building and it was becoming a threat to public safety.
Gangl said there are some unknown factors that could influence the price of the demolition and timeline of the project.
“We just don’t know what our environmental needs are with the oil tank or with the wooden privy. There’s the one room that we weren’t able to get to for safety reasons to see what the requirements are for that. So kind of unknown but we’re certainly going to be very conscious to keep the cost down as best as we possibly can,” added Gangl.
The Atwood Lions Club does not object to the removal of the building but has expressed interest in recovering historical artifacts from the building before its proposed demolition.
-With files from Ashley Ferraro
