Two buildings from the mid-1800s collapsed last month. Pictured: Wreckage from King Street building collapse. Photo Credit: Cameron Kroetsch/X.
The City of Hamilton has been left with serious questions from Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath, councillors, and the public alike after the dangerous collapse of a building across from Gore Park last month.
The city says that, at approximately 6:45 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, the Building Division was alerted to a building collapse of two buildings from the mid-1800s at 24 and 28 King Street East.
While the four-storey brick buildings are vacant and set for eventual development by Hughson Business Space Corporation, the area is often busy with events and foot traffic.
In fact, just weeks before the collapse there were concerts and even a children’s event right below the building.
The day before the collapse, Nov. 10, a Remembrance Day ceremony took place below.
Complicating matters, the City of Hamilton was reportedly “actively monitoring” the properties prior to the collapse.
The city’s Building Division issued an Order to Comply to the building owner on July 22, 2024, which noted that the “deteriorating building roof, walls, facade, and exterior fire escapes” were “structurally inadequate or faulty” and “in a condition that could be hazardous to the health or safety of persons outside the building.”
The Order added that the building owner must make the listed safety repairs by August 9, 2024 and provide a Structural Engineer assessment.
However, a city press release the day after the building collapse says that compliance was never achieved and that the city only initiated “further enforcement actions” the week before the collapse.
Horwath said at the time that the collapse “highlights the need for a review of enforcement processes and recommendations to prevent such incidents.”
After the collapse, the structures were fenced off and a nearby building that was also impacted, 40 King Street East, was vacated.
Since then, the remaining partial structures of 24 and 28 King Street East have been demolished.
Multiple other connected buildings had to be demolished as well.
The plans to develop the properties dated back to 2012 but were reportedly delayed due to various heritage requirements and market issues.
After the collapse, Horwath brought forward a motion at Council to have staff undertake four different actions.
First, she wants staff to conduct a “thorough review of the recent building collapses.”
Second, the motion called for staff to compile an inventory of buildings and structures in the city that have been subject to various by-law enforcement or safety concerns.
Third, staff will be undertaking a review of current enforcement processes and “identify potential gaps.”
Finally, the motion calls for staff to provide recommendations for updates to city policies and by-laws.
A preliminary report is expected at a General Issues Committee meeting in quarter one of 2025 since the motion was passed.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
