Salt Building (Vancouver)

 historic landmark, historical building

a former industrial facility has been restored for the Olympics as an athletes' "hangout", and after the games, it will become a cafe.

www.thechallengeseries.ca/chapter-01/history/

The location of the historic Salt Building marks the original shoreline of False Creek. The 16,000 square foot building was erected in 1930 on exposed timber piles along the water’s edge. Inside the Salt Building, elaborate roof trusses that support the structure are visible within a large, open space. One of the last industrial buildings at SEFC (Southeast False Creek) that remains intact, the Salt Building has heritage designation.

The building was originally used as a salt refinery, storage facility and distribution centre. Salt arrived by ship from San Francisco, where it had been roughly processed, and would be cleansed, ground and packaged for use in the fishing industry for canning and refrigeration. Once the salt industry moved out, in the 1980s, the building was adapted for use as a paper recycling plant.

Recently, under city ownership, the foundation and a portion of the structure of the Salt Building were upgraded in preparation for a rehabilitation project. A consortium of companies called The Vancouver Salt Company is working to give the building new life. The Salt Building will be used as a social gathering place during the 2010 Games and following the Olympics it will continue to be a public amenity, housing a restaurant and brew pub.