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, affordable housing development in New Westminster, Renewal was engaged to clear a site containing two single family homes. Through our Renewal Removal service, we provided a full one-stop shop for all site work, including selective deconstruction, responsible demolition, and coordinated recycling efforts. One home 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. The other property, a structurally-sound mid-century character home, a classic 1940s 1100 SQFT bungalow, was identified as an ideal candidate for rescue, relocation and repurposing.
Rather than sending this home to landfill, we offered a sustainable alternative: relocation instead of demolition. The home required minimal abatement and only selective removal of the top level. We delivered a cost-competitive solution that not only reduced the environmental footprint of preparing the site for future development, but also made financial sense.
A traditional demolition would have cost the developer $35,000. Renewal provided a comprehensive removal quote of $17,500, cutting the cost in half, with savings of $17,500 passed directly to the developer over the scope of the entire project. The future buyer of the relocated home will assume the remaining transport and renovation costs, allowing for a win-win scenario. And the entire removal was completed on the same timeline as standard demolition, proving that prioritizing sustainability doesn't have to slow things down.
The rescued home will be upgraded for energy efficiency and eventually become a sustainable, affordable home for a new resident, continuing its life cycle and adding value to another community.
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.