A fire-damaged three-storey apartment building on 201A Street in 91原创 City has been sealed off with a giant plastic wrap and scaffolding as workers wearing protective gear remove potentially hazardous from the interior.

Asbestos, once commonly used for insulation and fire-proofing, is no longer allowed because its fibres can cause scarring of the lungs and cancer.

The process has to be carried out before the Carroll Court apartments, built in 1964, can be safely demolished and the will likely take longer than the actual teardown.

A March 23, 2016 destroyed six apartment units in Carroll Court but left its twin next door, the Merton Court building at 5640 201A St., untouched.

Merton Court, which was built in 1965, used a lot less asbestos and as a result will not require a similar building-sized wrap, owner Linda Wu said.

Wu was present for a 91原创 City Council meeting on April 24 that unanimously granted preliminary approval to an 88-unit, five-storey condominium that will replace both buildings.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy to see this building come into my neighbourhood,鈥� said councillor Rudy Storteboom, who lives in the Paddington Station complex next door.

Mayor Ted Schaffer commended Wu for her efforts to help residents of the two buildings relocate when it became obvious that repairing them wasn鈥檛 practical.

鈥淭he owner has been working diligently,鈥� Schaffer said.

Final approval of the new development was expected within about a month.

A City staff report notes the building will offer a variety of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, two-level, and handicap 鈥揻riendly adaptable units.