The City of Hamilton yesterday approved the cost of tearing down a North Street building believed to be used for illegal activity.The decision was made after Government gave its permission to demolish the building at 23 North Street.The $15,000 cost of the project was not included in the Corporation’s budget. Councillor Larry Scott suggested the site could be utilised as a parking lot to recoup the cost but was informed the property was owned by Government.Mr Scott said he would be eager to negotiate an agreement with Government about the land’s use.The comments were made during the City of Hamilton’s monthly public meeting.The board also approved allocating $10,000 to carry out a second study for the unused Corporation property at the corner of Dundonald Street and Court Street.An earlier plan was discarded after it was determined the City couldn’t afford the project.Mayor Graeme Outerbridge said: “They want to come up with a plan that’s doable as opposed to aspirational.”Councillor Scott suggested that the City approach the architect responsible for the first proposal in the hopes of saving money.“The person who did the more ambitions plan would have done a survey,” Mr Scott said. “He knows the lay of the land. Why not ask him rather than get someone new to reinvent the basic layout of these things?”The City also approved the hiring of a structural engineer to look at repairing the wall on the Cedar Avenue side of Victoria Park.“It has a lean to it, and it looks like it’s separating from the sidewalk,” said City engineer Patrick Cooper. “It is bordered by a flower and tree bed, so we don’t have pedestrians underneath it so the safety issue is mitigated in that way, but we want to be proactive and get the design done for this wall to have it ready to start construction.“I do not believe that the wall is in any danger of coming down unless a vehicle goes across and hits the wall, but if the wall was in good condition it would pose the same risk.”The board also approved the hiring of an electrical engineering consultant for the instillation of a bollard for visiting yachts, which would provide the yachts with water, electricity and cable, and allow the City to bill them for the service.They also agreed to pay $5,000 to send Town Crier Ed Christopher to Sir George Somers’ UK home, Lyme Regis, to take part in its Somers’ Day festivities.The bulk of the meeting revolved around expenses, however the board also approved leasing an unused water tank to the government.Mr Cooper said that the water tank, part of which lies underneath the flower beds on Front Street, was once used to service Number Eight Shed.“Marine and Ports currently has an above-ground water tank in their facility which has limited space,” he said. “They want to use our tank and be able to create more operating space.“We are going to lease them the tank, they are going to do all the work, and have the tank filled up with water and use it to service their facility at Crow Lane.”He said the lease would last between five and ten years at a rate of $2,520 per annum.