Date:December 23, 1998

To:Scarborough Community Council

From:Steve Franklin, P. Eng.

Director and Deputy Chief Building Official

Subject:Derelict Building

Purpose:

To report on the condition of the derelict building at the above noted location, as directed by Scarborough Community Council.

Recommendation:

That Scarborough Community Council receive this report for their information.

Background:

On February 22, 1995, Pacific Empire Developments Inc. (the original owners) filed an application for building permit to construct a four storey reinforced concrete building, with two levels of underground parking containing retail, office and restaurant uses, and having a gross floor area of 11,445 square metres.

A foundation permit was issued on June 1, 1995 to allow construction to begin. On August 8, 1995, a superstructure permit was issued. Inspections were conducted on the project by all City disciplines, along with professional design consultants until construction ceased at the end of January, 1996 in the stage as it remains to date; namely, 3 storeys of exposed reinforced concrete floor slabs and columns and partial erection of structural steel columns, beam and joists that would form the roof. In addition, some plumbing and mechanical work was completed in the underground parking levels.

The site is surrounded by a combination of 8 foot high fencing and hoarding. Sometime after this, the project went into receivership and was assumed by the mortgagor, Bank of China.

During the winters of 1996 and 1997, the Building Division ordered Bank of China to provide frost protection of the buildings foundations, as well as site safety measures which were completed within our required time frame. To date, they are maintaining the requested frost protection through installation of six electrical heat furnaces located in the lower parking level as designed by a professional engineer.

In early 1997, Bank of China, at our request, retained a professional engineer design consultant to assess the structural stability and condition of the partially-built structure. A report was submitted to the Building Division with recommendations for repairs and/or remedial action. At the end of March, 1997, Bank of China complied with all the recommendations as outlined in that report.

In the summer of 1997, Bank of China was asked to assess the condition and security of the hoarding/fencing erected around the site and make the necessary replacement and repairs as required. Following this assessment, Bank of China hired a contractor to do the corrective work. From the time the work on the project ceased, our Division has periodically inspected the site in co-operation with Bank of China officials to ensure that safety measures were maintained.

On September 16, 1997, the previous Scarborough Council approved an application to amend the official plan and zoning by-law to add hotel uses. This was initiated by an interested purchaser of the site. Unfortunately, in September 1998 we learned from Bank of China that the purchase transaction was not finalized as indicated in the attached letter of September 22, 1998. However, Bank of China is currently negotiating with a potential purchaser as further explained in the attached letter of December 16, 1998.

Conclusion:

The last consultant engineering assessment and report done in 1997 revealed that the building as it stands was structurally sound. In addition, our recent inspection on December 17, 1998, found the building has no serious structural items of concern, the two lower underground parking levels free of standing water, the six electrical heating furnaces located in the lower parking level that provide heat to protect the foundation from freezing operational, and the site hoarding/fencing secure and tight.

Attached for your information is a letter that outlines what any new owner would have to undergo to activate the existing permit and proceed with construction.

Any new building design would require new applications to be filed for building permit and Site Plan Control.

Contact name:

Joe Debono, Manager

Inspections East District

Team 2

Tel: (416) 396-7316

Fax:(416) 396-4266

E-mail:debono@city.scarborough.on.ca

Respectfully submitted,

Steve Franklin, P. Eng.

Director and Deputy Chief Building Official

Building Division

Urban Planning and Development Services

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