The vacant building is located at 1402 100th Street in North Battleford. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

DEMOLITION DEBATE

Builder pitches $15M plan as North Battleford council delays demolition decision

Jun 24, 2025 | 2:15 PM

A vacant century-old building in downtown North Battleford could avoid demolition after its owner pitched a roughly $15-million redevelopment and requested up to five years to carry it out.

The two-storey structure at 1402 100th Street has sat empty since 2020 and is one of dozens of derelict properties under review by the city. It has been the site of break-ins with signs of drug use and at least three fire starts, prompting a demolition order from the fire department in 2023.

“This building has remained vacant for a number of years,” Protective Services Director Lindsay Holm wrote in a report to council. “During this period, little to no maintenance has been done… This presents a significant public safety risk for the community and our firefighters.”

At a June 23 city council meeting, longtime property owner Harry Zamansky asked for up to five years to replace the structure with a 20-suite rental apartment complex, complete with six to seven townhouses and a heritage-style lobby.

“If you give me a timeline of five years, that apartment block will be a reality,” Zamansky told council. “I am prepared to put it in writing.”

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Zamansky — a retired insurance advisor and current owner of Diamond Standard Properties, which manages 27 rental properties in the city — said the company initially hoped to sell the site, but shifted its focus to redevelopment following internal discussions and renewed interest from board members.

“We are builders, not takers,” he said. “This is home.”

A rendering shows the proposed redevelopment of 1402 100th Street in North Battleford. (photo/ Lime Architecture Inc.)

He admitted the building is “100 years old and stick-built,” and said it became too costly to maintain. Still, he insisted the site is now secure.

“Every window is boarded up, and the boards are screwed. There’s no power, no gas, no reason for it to burn,” he said. “There hasn’t been anybody in that building since last August.”

Holm acknowledged the building appears better secured than before, but said derelict properties often attract squatters and continue to pose a safety risk.

“When we respond to [fires in derelict buildings], we have no way of knowing whether that building is occupied or is being squatted in,” he said. “It puts my firefighters at great risk because we have to try and make entry into that building to search for any persons that could be in there.”

The vacant house is seen boarded up. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW Staff)

Inside of the building. (photo/ City of North Battleford)

Zamansky also pushed back, saying his property is being unfairly singled out.

“There’s 12 vacant buildings [on the street]. Five have been vacant at least or longer than mine,” he said. “Has any one of those five told you ‘I will spend $15 million and I’ll put it in writing?'”

Holm confirmed the building is one of 103 derelict properties on the city’s tracking list. Of those, 53 are currently boarded up. He said enforcement is underway on several properties, particularly along 100th Street.

The vacant house is seen boarded up. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

Drug paraphernalia is visible inside the vacant building. (photo/ City of North Battleford)

Zamansky said immediate demolition would force him to fill in the basement — only to dig it back out later to install underground parking. He also said he could not afford to pay landfill fees upfront and asked to pay them over five years, if demolition is enforced.

Coun. Greg Lightfoot raised concerns that allowing such an arrangement could set a costly precedent.

“If we give you that deal, then somebody else is going to expect the same thing,” he said. “We are stewards of the taxpayer… and we would be using our own dollars internally to pay that fee to the waste management facility.”

Some council members expressed interest in the proposed development, called Clinton Court II, which would feature historical displays and repurposed materials from the original structure. But they questioned why the project hadn’t moved forward sooner.

“This has been on hold for a couple of years already,” Lightfoot said. “What would make us believe that the five-year plan is going to be followed through… based on this information?”

Jade Youst, chief operating officer of the family business, told council that internal restructuring and her upcoming maternity leave factored into the delay. She said the board will take full control by October, and the apartment project would be their first major initiative.

As for why he can’t invest in the redevelopment, Zamansky said “signing on a piece of paper for $10 to $15 million in this financial climate — frankly, I am frightened.”

“I’m not in a position to spend $20 million or $15 million today or tomorrow. I need a timeline to organize everything financially to succeed in this project.”

Scorch marks are seen inside the vacant building at 1402 – 100th Street in North Battleford. (photo/ City of North Battleford)

Graffit seen inside the vacant building at 1402 – 100th Street in North Battleford. (photo/ City of North Battleford)

When Mayor Kelli Hawtin asked whether the demolition could happen sooner, Zamansky proposed a compromise: the building would come down within two years, and the lot would be fenced off until construction is ready to begin.

“Two years, I can take the building out,” he said. “There’ll be a hole, it’ll be sloped, but we’ll put a fence around it. I don’t know. Is that going to look better than than that whole building in there?”

Hawtin acknowledged the development vision, but emphasized that boarded-up buildings remain a serious concern.

“The community has come to us and said, let’s try to get this place cleaned up,” she said. “They’re not only an eyesore, but as Coun. Ironstand says, they’re a hazard.”

Council ultimately voted to table the decision until July 14 to allow time for further discussion with administration and the property owner. At that time, council will decide whether to uphold the demolition order, amend it with a new timeline, or allow the structure to remain under conditions set by the city.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com