City called building 'unsafe' for years

Repeated inspections of structure with tilting facade raised concerns, little action

- MAHDIS HABIBINIA, CALVI LEON AND RAJU MUDHAR

The building that collapsed on Dundas Street West was the subject of repeated city inspections in recent years. Community members said the displaced tenants were made up of students, newcomers and refugees.

A Kensington Market building that was demolished after its tilting façade sparked concerns that it would collapse was the subject of numerous public complaints and city inspections in recent years, raising questions about the effectiveness of the city’s enforcement of its bylaws.

The roof of the two-storey building on Dundas Street West collapsed last week, pushing the front wall out over the sidewalk. On Friday, emergency crews evacuated the tenants living above the ground floor retail spaces, with city crews later demolishing the entire top floor of the structure.

According to records obtained by the Star, the building was deemed “unsafe” by the city repeatedly, for various reasons, after public complaints.

In some cases those orders were later lifted without a physical inspection of the site.

“It was a miracle no one was injured or killed,” said Adam Wynne, chair of the Toronto and East York Community Preservation Panel, a citizens committee that advises city council on heritage buildings. Over the past six years, Wynne has repeatedly flagged concerns over the building’s structure to 311, the city’s help line. “This (was) absolutely dreadful, and it could have been prevented.”

There are multiple addresses listed for the Dundas Street West building that houses a beauty salon, hair salon and convenience store on the ground floor, as well as apartments on the second floor. A woman listed as the owner of one of the addresses declined to comment, saying she was “too busy,” while the owner of another did not respond to multiple requests for comment.