Zoning changes in the 1950s permitted high-rise construction in the West End and resulted in the demolition of much of the remaining early housing stock. Mole Hill was spared owing to being targeted for acquisition by the City of Vancouver for eventual demolition for open space.
The Parks Board began purchasing any house on the block which came on the market and by 1990 they had acquired most of the block. During this time the houses continued to be operated as rentals or rooming houses, under a disparate range of agreements with the City.