Plaza of Nations roof to come down

A glass roof built for Vancouver's Expo '86 that was designed to last 10 months will finally be torn down.

In a news release Thursday, the city said it had granted a demolition permit to the owners of the Plaza of Nations.

Inspectors deemed the roof unsafe last year because thousands of bolts holding the metal and glass together have rusted badly in the past 21 years.

The roof covers an open-air plaza that had been used for festivals and concerts. Its owner, Canadian Metropolitan Properties Corp., stopped using it for public events after the inspection.

The demolition permit includes two adjacent office buildings. The tenants have until June to move out.

The demolition of the roof will leave few surviving structures from Expo '86. Enterprise Hall and the B.C. Science Centre are two that remain standing.