1700 Block west side

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1700 Block west side looking north in 1912

1700 Block west side looking north in 1930

1700 Block west side looking south in 1940

1703-1709 Commercial

1908-1940

BP 6277 14/2/22 to R.H. Greggor, $250 repairs (1703). Two storey (1703-9 Commercial), 1 storey (1660-1674 E.1st). BP 1940/2/8 $100 to demolish.

  • 1703 Commercial
  • 1709 Commercial
  • 1674 E. 1st
  • 1678 E. 1st
  • 1680 E. 1st

1715 Commercial

1940-

BP 1940/10/10 to Safeway, $19,500. Major reno in 1974 conversion to bank.

  • 1715 Commercial

1719 Commercial

1909-1910

I assume this to have been a real estate shack/office.

  • 1719 Commercial

1721-1725 Commercial

1910-

BP 1910/3/15 to Leon Melekov, $2,000.

  • 1721 Commercial
  • 1725 Commercial

1729-1735 Commercial

1910-

BP 1910/11/8: to T.H. Halse (owner), H.D. Crawford (builder), $14,000 stores and apartments, originally called the Halse Building, later known as Brandon Block. Shown on Goad’s map in 1912 as a single building filling both lots with three storefronts and apartments above (1731). 1913/8/15: building moved seven feet west. 2011-2015 building renovated top to bottom as described in this report in the “Vancouver World” of August 15, 1913 at page 24 about the Brandon Block’s move:

The following is a report in the “Vancouver World” of August 15, 1913 at page 24 about the Brandon Block’s move:

“Complete success attended the moving back of the large two-storey brick building on Commercial Drive, between First and Second Avenues, which undertaking was carried out this morning in connection with the Commercial Drive widening scheme.

This was the first time that such a thing had been attempted locally and the task was watched by a large crowd of interested onlookers.  The structure contained three stores on the ground floor and seven suites of apartments on the upper floor.  Many of the latter were occupied during the time of the setting back of the building, but so gently was the work carried out that the movement  was all but imperceptible.

The building weighed, at a careful estimate, 550 tons, and the whole of it, from the very foundation, was set back seven feet.  During the operation, the water supply and the sewerage system was not interfered with for a moment, the occupants of the apartments being able to continue their domestic duties without let or hindrance.

“The structure known as the Halse building was built in 1910 and constituted the last of the 19 buildings which have had to be moved back through the decision of the City Council to widen Commercial Drive between First and Sixteenth Avenue.  The work has been carried out by Messrs. McCain Brothers under the personal supervision of Land Purchasing Agent J.B. Williams.”

1743-1747 Commercial

1909-

1909/5/19: BP to H.T. Shelton (owner), H. Murray (builder), $1,200 shop. 1919/4/28: BP 10142 to James Bros., $50 garage. Remodelled by Angus Campbell in the late 1920s.

Now with a much altered frontage.

  • 1743-45 Commercial
  • 1747 Commercial

1783-1795 Commercial

1925-

Some sort of property existed here prior to 1925 when the City sold the lot in a tax-sale for $3,050 (Province 1925/2/12, p.11). The present building was erected for Knight & Bird grocers.

  • 1783 Commercial
  • 1795 Commercial

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