Notorious Kelowna Hells Angels house being knocked down

Photo: Dennis Semeniuk

The Hells Angels clubouse on Ellis Street is being knocked down.

One of Kelowna's most notorious buildings is being knocked down.

The City of Kelowna's recently acquired Hell’s Angels clubhouse on Ellis Street was being torn apart by construction crews Tuesday morning, and according to one resident it didn't look like there'd be much left by the end of the day.

Dennis Seminiuk was biking by when he saw crews knocking down the landmark structure.

"I thought, here we go ... it will be gone by the end of today or tomorrow," he said.

"I was glad when the province took steps to repossess the house and again I thought the city made a smart move by buying the property."

What's next, however, remains to be seen. Late last year the city said best use for the property at 837 Ellis Street had yet to be determined. A request for updated information has been made to city staff.

The city paid $990,000 for the property. BC Assessment pegged its value at $1,208,000—$645,000 for the land value and $563,000 for the property value.

Back when the property was sold, Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, described the sale as "the next step in addressing organized crime in British Columbia."

“Everyone wants to build a good life in B.C. in a community you love, where everyone belongs and no one gets left behind," Begg said.

"The sale of this property not only puts organized crime on notice, but offers communities an opportunity to turn a problematic property associated with crime into an asset for the community."

The B.C. government seized three Hells Angels‘ clubhouses in April 2023, based on a previous B.C. Court of Appeal decision that sided with B.C.’s Civil Forfeiture office.

That move came nearly two months after B.C.’s top court ruled three Hells Angels’ clubhouses were eligible for seizure because members will likely keep using these locations to plan more crime.