An institution in the east end of St. John’s is coming down, much to the delight of just about everyone.
This week, the city approved a permit for demolition of the former Hoyles Escasoni home on Portugal Cove Road.
The site will soon be cordoned off, with about five to six months of tear-out before the building is torn down.
The long-term care home closed in 2014, when the province opened the new facility in Pleasantville.
The property was sold to a private company in 2017 for $650,000 but has remained an abandoned and dangerous eyesore.
Coun. Jill Bruce (City of St. John’s)
Councillor Jill Bruce said the relief of residents is palpable, while Mayor Danny Breen urged the province to do better regarding such sites.
“They have to do a better job of working with us to ensure that they’re taking care of these properties rather than just disposing, or not disposing of them, and leaving them there to be called eyesores and a pain to the neighbours,” he said.
Breen singled out the former Grace hospital site, as an example, as well as future plans for the St. Clare’s and Waterford Hospital properties.
