High demolition costs dash dreams of a women’s shelter in Chinatown.

The dream died almost as quickly as it was born.

Victory Mission, a nonprofit in Salinas’ Chinatown that provides an overnight shelter and meals for homeless men, as well as a recovery program that houses men on a months-long basis, was set to purchase a burned-out property next door at 45 Soledad St. with hopes to turn it into a shelter for women.

But Ken Cusson, Victory’s executive director, says the deal – which was in escrow – fell apart when it was revealed how much the demolition of the old Swinging Door building would cost. Cusson puts that number at about $200,000, though Salinas city officials estimate there are $325,000 in damages.

The property, which burned in a fire March 18, is owned by Rann, LLC, whose agent, Nav Maharaj, has not responded to numerous requests for comment. Demolition of the partially collapsed brick building, which is at least 80 years old, is a high priority for the city, which considers it to be dangerous.

The city has given Maharaj until sometime in May to have it demolished, and Cusson says that if Victory were to have gone ahead with the purchase it would have to have raised $200,000 in a matter of weeks.

“It’s impossible for us raise that much money that fast,” Cusson says. “I’m in the dumps over this.”

Part of the high cost of the demolition is likely due to asbestos, which is common in older buildings and must be disposed of at hazardous waste landfills. The two closest hazmat landfills are in Livermore and Fresno.

Cusson says Maharaj told him he has had two new offers on the property since their deal fell apart, and that one of the prospective buyers is the city of Salinas.

Mayor Joe Gunter confirms the city is interested in buying the property and has plans to convert it into low-income housing. “We will be looking at the property to see if we can afford to take it on,” he says. “We’re waiting to see the bottom line.”

Ideally, Gunter says, the city would like to have a plan by early July, when federal funds become freed up for the next fiscal year.

The building remains a safety hazard, Salinas Senior Deputy City Attorney Anais Aquino says, and an expedient demolition is a priority for the city.

As for Cusson, he laments the challenges ahead for building a women’s shelter: “You tell me a neighborhood that wants a shelter,” he says.