Marine Mid-Century Character Home Rescue
In partnership with Empacta Development and the City of New Westminster, Renewal Development helped make space for a meaningful future, while preserving a piece of the past.
As part of Empacta’s upcoming transit-oriented, BC Housing sponsored, affordable housing development in New Westminster, Renewal was engaged to clear a site containing two mid-century single family homes.
Through our Renewal Removal service, we provided a full one-stop shop for all site work, including tree removal, permit coordination, responsible building removal, and coordinated recycling efforts. In the end, we left Empacta a clear site ready for redevelopment. On time and on budget.
One home (1923 Marine Way) was responsibly removed and processed for material recovery at a cost-competitive price point that was equal to the developer’s budget for traditional demolition. Renewal achieved a 80% material salvage (by weight) on this building removal.
The other home (1927 Marine Way) - a charmingly renovated 1940s 1,100 sq. ft. bungalow - was identified as an ideal candidate for rescue, relocation and repurposing.
In the evening of August 29th the main level of 1927 Marine Way was lifted and relocated by road to Renewal’s new modernization facility in Coquitlam along the Fraser River. Here the home was modernized to our Renewal Standard in preparation for final delivery to a coastal community in need of good, cost effective, climate resilient housing.
Rather than sending both homes to the landfill, Renewal offered Empacta a sustainable alternative: maximizing material salvage through relocation and green demolition.
A traditional demolition service provider would have charged Empacta roughly $35,000 for the abatement, demolition, debris removal of each home.
Renewal provided a comprehensive removal quote of $17,500 for the 1927 home, and an industry aligned quote of $35,000 for the 1923 home. Given one quarter of the building’s were not being demolished we were able to provide Empacta a 25% cost discount compared to conventional demolition.
The buyer of the relocated 1927 home assumes the transport and renovation costs, allowing for a win-win scenario.
This project also supports something much larger. The new housing being developed on site will be operated by Aunt Leah’s Properties, a non-profit providing safe, affordable housing for vulnerable youth and mothers in the New Westminster area. We’re proud to contribute to a project that reflects both housing justice and environmental responsibility.
Environmental Impact of Saving One 1100 SQFT Home
By relocating rather than demolishing one good quality home, we helped:
Avoid approximately 37 tonnes of GHG emissions
Divert over 30,000 kg of construction material from landfill
Preserve roughly 45 tonnes of embodied carbon already invested in the original build
We believe in working in concert with developers who are building both density and community resources. Projects like this reflect the power of collaboration, where thoughtful urban growth, affordability, and circular construction practices intersect.
By integrating reuse into the development process, we help communities build stronger networks of support and inclusion. It’s a repeatable, scalable model for the construction and demolition industries, where sustainability and affordability aren’t in conflict, but working hand in hand.