There will soon be a hole in Alvinston’s downtown.
Brooke-Alvinston officials have been working with building inspectors from Lambton County on property standards issues at 3241 River St, next to the Alvinston Legion. And officials have told neighbours the building is about to be torn down.
Brooke-Alvinston Clerk-Administrator Janet Denkers says there have been problems with the building since she came to the municipality six years ago. It has been more than a decade since there has been a business in the historic building – a pizza parlor. There have been tenants living in the above apartments, but not in the last few years.
That’s likely because of the poor condition of the building. For some time, the building has been without a back wall.
Jack MacDonald, the president of the Alvinston Legion, says the owners of the building did extensive work several years ago when there was water issues and recently it appeared more repairs were on the horizon. But the building supplies and scaffolding remain without any signs of the workers to use them.

Denkers says the municipality was hopeful the owner, based out of London, would fix up the building, but that hasn’t happened.
“I’m not sure it is saveable,” says Denkers noting there was damage done by a previous owner trying to do renovations.In an email to MacDonald, Denkers suggested the paperwork to get the wheels in motion for the demolition could be complete in mid February.
MacDonald is hopeful the demolition won’t impact the Alvinston Legion.

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