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VIDEO: A vintage home is free for the taking plus $30k to help you move it

It's showing its age, but an eye-catching, Art Deco style house near the foot of Kelowna's Clement Avenue still has an undeniable appeal.

But it has to go.

The property is up for redevelopment, but taking a wrecking ball to it would be a shame.

That's why the people behind the project are going the extra mile to try to have the building saved.

The developer, Vantage West Realty, is not just offering to give away the 1950s-built home, they are also offering to pay $30k to deliver it to the location of your choice.

<who> Photo Credit: KelownaNow

"We really wanted to incentivize people to save this house," said A.J. Hazzi of Vantage West.

"We've owned it now for some time and actually fallen in love with it."

A watercolour painting of the home by Michael Kluckner is included in the 2005 Book Vanishing British Columbia, a book that celebrates buildings with historical value around the province.

<who> Credit: Michael Kluckner, Vanishing BC.

"I think he did this house in the 1990s," said local history author Nancy Josland Dalsin.

"He would go and sit live and paint."

"The property, you can see was beautiful at one time," she said. "A beautiful fountain, the front entrance would have come right off the road."

<who> Photo Credit: KelownaNow

The home is unusual because most examples of the Art Deco style date back to the 1920s and 30s.

This one was built in the 50s, so it was a tip of the hat to history even when it was first built.

"It's one of the cool original houses of the area," added Hazzi.

<who> Courtesy: Vantage West Realty

The property is less than a fifth of an acre in size, but there are big plans for it.

Vantage West aims to create a new head office on the property.

The vision is to build several storeys high with a mix of commercial and residential space.

<who> Photo Credit: KelownaNow </who> Ajay Hazzi, Vantage West Realty

It's not unusual to see a developer offer a home free for the taking to make way for a new development, but paying for the move is taking it to the next level.

A sign advertising the offer just went up a few days ago and already Vantage West has heard from five interested parties.

"It looks like we're going to be able to save this house," said Hazzi.

<who>Photo credit: KelownaNow </who>

Dalsin hopes someone takes him up on the offer, but worries the expense of rehabilitating it might be too much.

"It's probably going to cost a lot more than $30,000," she said.

"But I think it's an opportunity for maybe preserving some of the architectural features that may still remain in the house."

<who> Photo Credit: KelownaNow

As hopeful as Hazzi is, he said one way or another, the building has to go.

"I don't know what more I can do," he said.

"If after a certain amount of time, it doesn't come to pass, then unfortunately there will have to be a wrecking crew."



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