Cadillac Fairview has begun to demolish downtown Vancouver’s former Four Seasons Hotel.

Dallas Watt Demo is doing the demolition work for Cadillac Fairiview, which plans to replace the property with a new mixed-use tower.

The once iconic Four Seasons was built in the 1970s and contained 372 rooms and 25,000 square feet of ballroom space, according to Daily Hive Urbanized.

Toronto-based Cadillac Fairview previously revealed its plans in responses to queries from media outlets following a Daily Hiver Urbanized report about the company’s intentions. The former luxury hotel has sat empty since Four Seasons’ lease was not renewed in 2020 amid a dispute between Cadillac Fairview and the hotelier about the condition of the property, according to multiple reports.

Crews have begun the demolition from the rooftop downward, Daily Hive reported. Dallas Watt Demo is deploying robotics systems rather than conventional wrecking-ball techniques to bring down the former hotel.

“There are demolition projects that test every layer of your expertise—and then there are the ones that redefine it,” said Dallas Watt Demo in a LinkedIn post. “This one sits firmly in the second category.”

The work is occurring near West Georgia and Howe Streets, above Cadillac Fairview’s underground Pacific Centre mall in one of the busiest commercial areas of the city, with other buildings fully occupied and functioning as usual.

“From the earliest engineering reviews to noise and vibration management, structural sequencing, public-protection systems, and controlled debris movement, every step has been meticulously planned,” said Dallas Watt Demo. “In dense-city demolition, nothing is left to chance.

“As each floor of the Four Seasons disappears from the skyline, our crew continues to deliver with the technical excellence that defines our work.”

The company said its is using its specialized tool, including its newest Brokk machine, to access tight zones, cut and remove panels with accuracy, and sort concrete and steel efficiently for responsible recycling and disposal.

“Continuous communication with all teams on site keeps operations running smoothly in this highly complex, fully occupied environment,” said Dallas Watt Demo.

The company emphasized said its dedication to safety, ongoing hazard assessments, exclusion zones, fall-protection procedures, and air monitoring allow it to progress confidently without disrupting the surrounding businesses and thousands of Pacific Centre shoppers.

“This project shows what strategic planning, strong partnerships, and skilled execution make possible in one of the busiest commercial hubs in the city,” said Dallas Watt Demo.

Cadillac Fairview initially planned to renovate the existing hotel for continued but later changed its plans, according to Daily Hive Urbanized.

The company has told multiple media outlets that it’s too early to say how the former hotel will be redeveloped. But Cadillac Fairview indicated that the new structure will contain a hospitality component.

Tourism industry groups have called for the original use to be retained as the Vancouver region grapples with a dire shortage of hotel rooms in advance of future major global events.

Although Pacific Centre will not be affected, Cadillac Fairview has said the transformation of the former Nordstrom department store will be included in the hotel’s redevelopment.

The former department store, also part of Pacific Centre, sits on the southwest corner of Granville and West Georgia streets, across Georgia from the former hotel. Following Nordstrom’s exist, the former department store was converted to an office building that is mostly leased by Microsoft.

In decades gone by, the building housed Sears and Eaton’s department stores. The Eaton’s chain was the original user.

Both the Sears and Eaton’s chains are now defunct.

Pictured: A robotic device at work demolishing part of the former Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

Photo: LinkedIn/Dallas Watt Demo.