The Barry Hotel saga

[Jonitecture]

it will have to happen sooner or later, more and more middle class east siders are going over there because of the farmers market, and once major development begin in river front phase 2, riversdale will be a hot comodity. if i were older nad had more mony, i would buy a condo in the barry, mind you, the sirens at night might scare me a little ahaha.

[Dalreg]

Better places to waste money in the city than there. Most of the Western side is undervalued and should be a good place to invest. Riversdale/20th Street will have it's turn just not yet.

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by Dalreg

Better places to waste money in the city than there. Most of the Western side is undervalued and should be a good place to invest. Riversdale/20th Street will have it's turn just not yet.

Western side?

[Ruckus]

A Potential New Buyer For Barry Hotel

By Tim Amey
Updated January 11, 2008 - 4:03pm

There is a new application for a liquor license for Saskatoon's most imfamous Hotel.

And Barry Hotel owner Shoshana Goldstien admits there are interested buyers.

Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority spokesperson David Morris confirms an application was made January 2nd.

But he can't reveal who made the application until it's approved.

Late last year the city of Saskatoon looked into buying the 20th street landmark with the idea of demolishing it, but backed out over environmental concerns.

Owner Shoshana Goldstein says one person was interested, but alleges he backed off after Councillor Pat Lorje called him to say the city would never grant a liquor license.

Source

[Ruckus]

New Name Proposed For Barry Hotel

By Mervin Brass
Updated January 28, 2008 - 1:10pm

A Saskatchewan Hotelier has plans for the Barry Hotel including a new moniker.

The Barry could soon be called Lorje Place Hotel.

Lorje is spelled the same way city councilor Pat Lorje spells her name.

She won't talk until later.

In the past Lorje has made it clear she wants the Barry torn down.

Meanwhile a company calling itself L&L Holdings applied for a liquor licence for the 20th street establishment.

One of the partners owns at least two other hotels, one in Wynyard the other in Wadena.

The current owner of the Barry says before a deal could be finalized a potential buyer would need a liquor licence.

Source

[CCF]

Hey!!

[Ruckus]

hehehe, togetherness

Here's a

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by SASKFTW

New Name Proposed For Barry Hotel

By Mervin Brass
Updated January 28, 2008 - 1:10pm

............

Meanwhile a company calling itself L&L Holdings applied for a liquor licence for the 20th street establishment.

One of the partners owns at least two other hotels, one in Wynyard the other in Wadena.

The current owner of the Barry says before a deal could be finalized a potential buyer would need a liquor licence.

Source

I am curious as to which hotels they own in Wynyard and Wadena...

Originally Posted by Star Phoenix Classifieds

Notices (01/26/08)
LIQUOR PERMIT (Under the provisions of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997) Notice is hereby given that L & L Holdings Corp. has applied to The Liquor and Gaming Authority for a Tavern Permit with Offsale Endorsement to sell alcohol in premises known as Lorje Place Hotel at 201-20th Street West of which the following is a correct legal description: Lot 15-18; Block 18; Plan E5618 201-20th St. West Written objections to the granting of the permit may be filed with SLGA not more than two weeks from the date of publication of this Notice. Every person filing a written objection with SLGA shall state their name, address and telephone number in printed form, as well as the grounds for the objections. Petitions must name a contact person, state grounds and be legible. Each signatory to the Petition, and the contact person must provide an address and telephone number. Frivolous, vexatious, or competition-based objections within the beverage alcohol industry may not be considered, and may be rejected by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission, who may refuse to hold a hearing. Write to: Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority P.O. Box 5054 Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 3M3
Saskatoon, Area Code 306

Source

No joke, they actually use the name Lorje Place Hotel.

L & L Holding Corp. would be best to invest some money into a building befitting of a socially minded city councilor.

Who would bet the application for a liquor license is refused?

[Ruckus]

Liquor permit sought for 'Lorje Place Hotel'
Potential buyer of Barry Hotel uses councillor's name in ad
Lori Coolican, The StarPhoenix
Published: Tuesday, January 29, 2008

It must be someone's idea of a joke.

That was city Coun. Pat Lorje's initial reaction to the news a company has applied for a liquor licence and off-sale permit at a Saskatoon premises "known as Lorje Place Hotel" at 201 20th St. West.

The hotel located at that address is actually the Barry Hotel -- home of a drinking establishment Lorje has vowed to see closed. It has never been known as Lorje Place Hotel, the name contained in a public notice advertisement placed in The StarPhoenix Monday.

"I think this must be a huge prank. It can't be a serious proposal from legitimate business people," Lorje said.

"I don't know who is behind this, but I want to assure you that I have no business stake in any offering to purchase the Barry Hotel, and I do not approve of this misuse of my name."

Lorje said if the application is a serious one, she has instructed her lawyer to vigorously oppose the use of her name.

Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority spokesperson David Morris said applicants for liquor licences are required to advertise the street address and legal land description of the property in question, so the public is kept informed of what is proposed.

The mandatory advertisement invites members of the public to inform the SLGA of any objections to the licence being granted.

The wording of the ad -- stating the premises is "known as" Lorje Place Hotel -- is required by the SLGA, but it's up to the applicants to insert the name of the place, Morris said. The SLGA has no control over name changes, he noted.

That's a sign of a loophole somewhere in the SLGA's legislation, because it allows the applicant to misdirect the public's attention from what's really going on, Lorje said.

Most people reading the public notice in Monday's newspaper would not realize it was related to the Barry Hotel, and would therefore be less likely to voice opposition to the liquor licence being granted, she said.

Lorje noted city police were summoned to the Barry 600 times last year -- far more than any other hotel or bar in the city.

The majority of residents and businesses in the area would like to see it closed, she said.

City council agreed to purchase the hotel for $800,000 last November on condition that the bar would be closed Dec. 1 and the city would take possession this spring.

A jubilant Lorje hoped the wrecking ball would not be far behind.

The building has come to symbolize all of the problems and negative perceptions around the Riversdale neighbourhood, she said at the time.

However, the sale was contingent on an environmental assessment of the property, and the city backed out in December after the assessment was done.

The results of the assessment were never made public.

The Barry's current owner has not returned repeated phone calls from The StarPhoenix since December.

She told a radio station Monday any sale agreement with a potential new owner could not be finalized until the buyer obtained a liquor permit.

According to the ad, the applicant is a company called L and L Holdings.

No one from the company could be reached for comment.

lcoolican@sp.canwest.com

Source

[Ruckus]

Barry name game serious move
Potential owners insist they're not using councillor's moniker
Lori Coolican, The StarPhoenix
Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2008

The prospective owners of a Riversdale watering hole say they're serious about changing the name of the Barry Hotel to Lorje Place, but insist they are not naming it after city councillor Pat Lorje -- at least, not exactly.

Meanwhile, Lorje has a lawyer on the case, in an effort to halt what she considers a tasteless joke and theft of her name.

"I've got a partner, her name is Lorraine Sadler, and we tossed names around like 'Larry's Place,' which is my name, or 'Lorraine's Place,' " said Larry Bozek of L & L Holdings in an interview with The StarPhoenix Tuesday.

"And then we kind of -- I mean, Pat Lorje had a big part of all the articles in The StarPhoenix, you know, cutting the Barry Hotel down and (saying) it should be gone and bad things happen (there)

. . . so I mean, I got some of the initials from her name I guess, or letters, but it's not named after her. We took 'Lor' from Lorraine's name and the 'je,' I guess, off Lorje. I didn't use her whole name."

Lorje, whose ward includes the hotel at 201 20th St., was among several councillors who expressed interest in seeing the Barry torn down last year, after the city negotiated to buy it from its current owner. The deal, which called for the bar to close its doors on Dec. 1, collapsed after an environmental assessment of the property found conditions that would likely have escalated the cost of demolition.

Lorje's lawyer, Doug Richardson, said his firm is researching potential action she might take to keep her last name off the hotel. A recent search of registered business names in Saskatchewan found only two containing the name Lorje -- and both were registered by her, he noted.

"Our position as her counsel on this is that the names have been properly reserved, and she has a consulting firm in existence which uses her name, so that treading, or trading, on that name should not be permitted," Richardson said.

"There's no doubt that's her name, and if they were deadly serious about this they would have gone to her and offered to acquire her name, I guess -- but they're not deadly serious, I don't believe. But in the meantime, a very good public servant and politician is having her name bandied around, and that's just not right."

Bozek said as far as he knows, the name has been properly registered.

"Lorje Place Hotel is registered, yes," he said. "My lawyer was doing all that stuff, so I believe it is registered."

He said he expects some letters of opposition will be filed with the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Commission over his company's application for a liquor license and off-sale permit to continue selling booze at the Barry.

Opponents have until Feb. 11 to send in their objections, and the commission has absolute discretion to decide whether those objections have any merit. According to provincial law, if a written objection is considered worthy of its attention, the commission will invite both sides to give arguments at a hearing before making a decision.

Richardson said he hopes the "healthy controversy" over the use of Lorje's name will result in several people -- including her council colleagues -- raising concerns with the liquor commission about the issue. If a hotel is allowed to use Lorje's name, other businesses could also decide to "borrow" names from her fellow councillors without their permission, he noted.

A longtime resident of Riversdale, Lorje says a majority of residents and businesses in the area want the Barry closed or redeveloped into housing or commercial space consistent with ongoing revitalization efforts. She often points to the hotel's status as Saskatoon's worst hot spot for police responding to emergency calls. Officers were summoned there about 600 times last year.

The hotel's rough reputation is overblown, Bozek said, noting the bars at the two hotels he owns in Wynyard and Wadena generally serve the same type of customers found at the Barry, and often hire the same bands for live entertainment.

"The people who don't know the Barry Hotel are the ones that are against the Barry Hotel, you know? I think the people that have frequented it or been in there at least, they probably know it's not so bad. But it's the ones that don't know anything about it, they just hear stories -- those are the ones that are totally against the place."

If his company takes over the hotel he's willing to entertain offers from the city to redevelop the property, but in the short term he intends to "tidy it up" and continue operating, Bozek said.

"If they want to make low-income housing or affordable housing out of the building, I wish someone would approach me and say, 'Hey Larry, there's money available. Let's convert that whole building into affordable housing.' "

The hotel could use new paint inside, and has a "nice little restaurant" that should be leased out, he said. When asked how much money he intends to invest in the property if the sale is finalized, he wasn't sure.

"You can't do much these days for $100,000, so I won't even guess at a number. We'll just work at it little by little, see how things go."

lcoolican@sp.canwest.com

Source

The possibilities seem nice . However, I am still skeptical and suspicious of the potential owners real intent for the building and site.

[swilley]

What's the lesson to be learned? Don't fuck with Lorje

SP exclusive: Order could bring Barry Hotel down

By Lori Coolican
TheStarPhoenix.com

Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Barry Hotel's future became a bit more uncertain this week.

The City of Saskatoon registered an order against the title on the aging hotel at the corner of Avenue B and 20th Street on Tuesday, demanding the owner conduct major structural repairs and extensive interior renovations or totally demolish the building by July 31, The StarPhoenix has learned.

"This building has been allowed to deteriorate to a ruinous and dilapidated state that may be dangerous to the health of occupants in the building," a municipal inspector wrote in the order, which lists six major contraventions of the city's property maintenance bylaw identified during a Jan. 15 inspection.

"A large amount of 'standing water' has been allowed to accumulate in the boiler room for an extended time period, causing metal materials to rust and deterioration of wall and ceiling materials throughout the basement. Mould is visible on walls and ceilings in main floor rooms located above the boiler room area."

The problems are not just on the inside, according to the five-page order.

"Masonry bricks display deformity on the north and east walls. Loose bricks above the public sidewalk on Avenue B South may fall and injure persons below."

The structural supports holding up the first floor, "including metal beams and concrete pillars, display rusted and deteriorated conditions. Evidence of damage to the concrete foundation is visible," it adds.

The inspector also found sagging ceilings in hallways and bathrooms - with evidence of more rust and water damage showing through areas where ceiling tiles were missing - and large cracks in a stairwell leading to the hotel's roof.

The interior walls, floors and ceilings "are not being maintained in a suitable manner" and will also need work to bring the building in line with the city's property maintenance bylaw, according to the order.

"Walls and ceilings throughout the building display damage or finish materials are missing. . . . Interior doors and door frames that form a portion of the walls are damaged and doors are not securely fastened to the door frames. Wall and ceiling materials in the 'shared' bathrooms of the second and third floor areas display damaged finish materials including 'sagging' ceilings and cracked and peeling paint."

The walls and ceiling materials of the hotel's notorious main-floor bar are also damaged or missing, and the inspector found mould on the walls and ceilings of the storage rooms, as well as water damage to the walls and ceilings in the basement.

The owner is required to replace floor tiles in the bathrooms, damaged linoleum in stairwells and damaged carpeting.

"Floor coverings are not being maintained in a reasonable state of repair," the inspector wrote.

The building's plumbing is "not maintained in good working order," he added. "Water supply lines are leaking. Waterproof materials near the bathtubs are damaged. Bathroom sinks are stained and water faucets are leaking. Toilets are not operable."

The hotel's windows are not maintained either and panes are cracked or missing in the bathrooms on the second and third floors, according to the order.

Owner Shoshana Goldstein has until the end of March to file a structural assessment report signed by an accredited engineer, showing that all of the structural deficiencies can be repaired and listing the repairs that are needed. Alternatively, she could demolish the place and clear the land of all debris by that date.

If she chooses to make repairs, she is required to file a written confirmation - signed by an engineer - proving the work has all been done before July 31.

The order gives Goldstein until March 31 to fix the plumbing and windows, as well as "remove the 'standing water' from the boiler room and complete any repairs required to avoid an accumulation of water in this area."

In an interview Thursday, Goldstein said she had not seen the city's order and was not aware it existed. She insisted there is nothing wrong with the building, which is currently home to about four dozen long-term residents.

"I don't see anything wrong. I don't know what they're talking about," she said.

Goldstein has been negotiating to sell the hotel to L&L Holdings, a local company which recently applied to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Commission for a liquor licence and off-sale permit to continue operating it under the name Lorje Place Hotel.

Larry Bozek, one of two partners in the company, has said the new name is only partially a reference to city councillor Pat Lorje, who has been vocally critical of the hotel's reputation for violent incidents. He could not be reached for comment about the property inspector's orders Thursday.

Lorje has hired a lawyer to fight Bozek's plan to change the hotel's name. She and several other councillors expressed a desire to have the Barry torn down last fall, after civic staff negotiated to buy it from Goldstein. The sale fell through after an environmental assessment found problems that will likely make demolition expensive.

According to public documents obtained by The StarPhoenix, the Canada Revenue Agency registered three separate writs against the title of the Barry Hotel last year, for a total amount of nearly $50,000. Two local contractors also placed builders' liens against the property for unpaid bills last year.

The City of Saskatoon placed a tax lien against the Barry in 2006 for an unspecified amount. Late last year, civic officials said the hotel was about $140,000 behind in its taxes and utility payments.

lcoolican@sp.canwest.com

© The StarPhoenix 2008

[Ruckus]

Pix please

Whoop whoop, this is getting good

Seriously though, can the physical condition of the Barry Hotel be that much worse than Meridian's KG Hotel?

Many of the concerns highlighted in the inspectors report sound very minimal, probably just cosmetic deficiencies.

This whole ordeal makes me think the city wishes to tear the Barry down. Thinking back to the controversy around the KG, and the city's position on that building, now fast forward to the Barry for a complete contrast on essentially the same subject: old hotel, bad rep, potential for reuse, unpaid bills, building integrity comes into question...two paths --> demolish, or let some keen developer turn it into a gem

If the city takes possession, we might witness some demolition crews come spring/summer.

[macca]

Repairs Ordered For Barry Hotel

Written by Jim Mattern - 600 Action News-Local First
Monday, 04 February 2008
Saskatoon's Fire Chief says the orders against the Barry Hotel issued by the city's building inspectors are simply standard procedure when a building falls into dis-repair.

Chief Brian Bentley says the orders outlining violations of the fire protection act, and the property maintenance and nuisance abatement bylaw, aren't unusual for older buildings. He says the city does about 30-thousand inspections a year, and hands out hundreds of orders, and those issued for the Barry are no different.

Owner Shoshanna Goldstein has until the end of March to have an engineer inspect the deficiencies outlined in the order, and needs to have the work done by July 31st. But Bentley says the orders can be appealed, and extensions on deadlines can also be requested. He says with the city's booming economy, its common for extensions to be granted. And he says the order does not mean the building will automatically be demolished if the July deadline isn't met.

[Ruckus]

Prospective owner of Barry not disuaded by critical report
By Darren Bernhardt, TheStarPhoenix.com
Published: Monday, February 04, 2008

The prospective new owner of the Barry Hotel remains undeterred by a critical report on the building's condition and an ultimatum from the city to repair it or rip it down.

It's just another bump in the road to Larry Bozek, who said he knew he'd encounter issues big and small when he decided to make a bid on the aging Riversdale property last month.

"I'm not afraid of the report. It (repair work) has to be done, so you do it," Bozek said Monday, three days after the report from a city fire department inspector was released. "Am I still interested in it? Absolutely. It's a great old building, a sturdy old building."

The hotel at the corner of 20th Street and Avenue B shows signs of neglect, but if issues are addressed as soon as they crop up, a situation like the present one can be avoided, Bozek suggested.

The six-page report states "this building has been allowed to deteriorate to a ruinous and dilapidated state that may be dangerous to the health of occupants in the building."

The Barry is currently home to about four dozen long-term residents.

The inspection, conducted Jan. 15, found a plumbing system in dire need of repair, pools of standing water that have caused metal materials to rust, water damage and mould on walls and ceilings, evidence of damage to the concrete foundation, sagging ceilings in hallways and bathrooms, missing tiles and other pieces of finishing materials, damaged linoleum and carpeting, and cracked and peeling paint. On the exterior, the inspector found loose bricks above the public sidewalk and broken windows.

The report prompted the City of Saskatoon to register an order against the title of the property, demanding the owner make the necessary repairs or tear down the building. Present owner Shoshana Goldstein, or whoever buys it from her, has until the end of March to either demolish the building and clear the site or file a structural assessment showing the deficiencies can be repaired.

If the latter route is chosen, the work must be done before July 31.

Bozek, a co-owner of L & L Holdings, already owns two hotels - in Wynyard and Wadena - and said unexpected repairs "are all part of purchasing a building." He's received work orders for major things in the past, including replacing an entire roof.

"If it's got to be fixed, you fix it. As long as you're working with the inspectors - health and fire and any others - and not against them, things will be fine," he said, adding he is helping Goldstein get a structural engineer lined up, as soon as possible, to identify the work that must be done.

"We'll have a look at that report when it's done and see what we're dealing with," Bozek said.

He came along after the city, which had negotiated to buy and demolish the building, backed out in December. Several councillors, particularly Pat Lorje, who represents the ward that includes the Barry, wanted the hotel razed in order to rid the neighbourhood of what they perceived to be a source of problems. Last year, police responded to about 600 incidents at the Barry.

The city's offer to purchase was subject to an environmental assessment of the property, which came back with information that frightened away councillors and administrators. It revealed problems that would have escalated the cost of demolition but those details are considered private and cannot legally be revealed by anyone other than the owner, city manager Phil Richards has told The StarPhoenix.

Bozek is not concerned because demolition is not in his plans.

"It's a strong old building made from cement, not a wood frame," he said. "There's no heaved floors and the stairways are solid. To build something like that today would cost a lot."

One of the conditions of his deal is successfully acquiring a liquor licence and off-sale permit for the main floor bar. A number of councillors have vowed over the past few months to oppose any licensing effort. Bozek's application to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Commission is under review, along with any letters of opposition that are submitted by the public before Feb. 11.

Bozek is also facing a potential lawsuit by Lorje over the unauthorized use of her name. In the application to SLGA, Bozek listed the proposed name of the hotel as Lorje Place.

dbernhardt@sp.canwest.com

Source

[Ruckus]

Last Chance To Object To Barry Liquor License

By Benson McCulloch
Updated February 11, 2008 - 6:58am

Have an issue with the Barry Hotel getting a liquor license?

Today is the final chance to make sure your voice is heard.

Written objections must be into the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority by the end of the day.

Objections then get sent off to the Liquor and Gaming Commission, and they decide whether to grant a new license.

SLGA spokesperson David Morris can't say for sure how much the objections play in the decision.

L and L Holdings applied for a liquor license back on January 2nd and wanted to rename the building Lorje Place Hotel.

They claim there is no connection with city councillor Pat Lorje who has objected to granting a liquor licence.

Barry owner Shoshana Goldstien says L and L holdings will buy the old hotel, if they're granted a license.

Source

[Ruckus]

SLGA gets 60 objections to Barry hotel liquor application
By James Wood, TheStarPhoenix.com
Published: Tuesday, February 12, 2008

REGINA - There's evidently many people who don't want to see a new liquor permit for the trouble-plagued Barry Hotel.

The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority received 60 objections to the application for a new permit by the Monday deadline.

"That is an unusual number of objections. Generally if we have a business that already has a liquor permit and there's just a new owner taking over, we generally get no objections. We've had sometimes three or four maybe, but this is a large number of objections," said SLGA spokesperson Stephanie Choma on Tuesday.

The SLGA will forward the objections to the liquor and gaming licensing commission, an independent body that considers applications.

Choma said it's up to the discretion of the commission whether a hearing will be held on the application. Given the response in this case, however, hearings appear likely.

Hearings are held on an alternating monthly basis in Regina and Saskatoon, with the next hearings slated for Saskatoon in April.

Potential owner, L & L Holdings, applied for the liquor permit in January.

The City of Saskatoon recently registered an order against the title on the aging hotel at the corner of Avenue B and 20th Street. They are demanding the owner conduct major structural repairs and extensive interior renovations or totally demolish the building by July 31.

Source

[joelpiecowye]

this makes me happy, i really hope that the Barry won't get one. In fact i believe if the new liquor permit is alowed, riversdale's chance of becoming the best it would be like broadway did will be gone for at least the next 20 years

[Ruckus]

A facebook group has been created in support of demolition.

Demolish the Barry

The comments are not surprising, many people believe demolition will make Riversdale a safer place. Riversdale needs far more than quick demolition of a historic landmark to alter public perception and become a safer place.

[circle33]

All this demolish talk is so silly. One doesn't have to go far to a concrete example as to why. The Albany Hotel right across the street use to symbolize all the same negatives as the Barry, but has since redefined itself. Surely in the right hands (though I somehow doubt that would be the potential new owners) the Barry do the same.

[Ruckus]

Owners appeal Barry Hotel order
TheStarPhoenix.com
Published: Saturday, March 08, 2008

The Barry Hotel may get a temporary reprieve from the wrecking ball. Its owner, Shoshana Goldstein, is appealing a fix-or-destroy order made by the city in January against the property title.

Goldstein has been trying for months to sell the aging hotel at the corner of Avenue B and 20th Street. An agreement was reached in July but the prospective buyers were scared off shortly after when some councillors vowed to "take all steps" to prevent the purchaser from getting a liquor licence to operate the bar.

The Barry is an infamous drinking spot that many perceive as a source of neighbourhood problems. Last year, police responded to about 600 incidents there.

After scaring off the prospective buyers, the city made Goldstein a lower purchase offer, contingent on an environmental assessment. The report came back negative and the city rescinded the offer.

Another potential buyer, Larry Bozek, came along and entered into a contract with Goldstein. Days after that, the city filed its "order to remedy," demanding major structural repairs and extensive interior renovations be made or the building be totally demolished by July 31.

"The circumstances under which this order was made are questionable and the owner disputes the bona fides of the order in its entirety," states the notice of appeal filed by Goldstein with the property maintenance appeal
board.

Bozek, in an interview with The StarPhoenix last month, praised the condition of the Barry, calling it a "strong old building. He owns two hotels - in Wynyard and Wadena - and is undaunted by the work needed to fix the Barry. There are some repairs to be done but it is far from requiring demolition, he said.

"To build something like that today would cost a lot."

In her appeal, Goldstein also noted there are 60 long-term residents who would be rendered homeless if the building is torn down. Further, the time allowed to remedy "the alleged contraventions" is insufficient for her to
get contractors and an engineer to perform the work, she stated.

The appeal hearing is set for March 26.

The board, made up of five neighbourhood residents appointed by city council, will decide within 30 days whether to uphold the order to remedy.

Source