By Corcoran Conn-Grant
Sidewalks and streets around the intersection of Bank and Somerset streets will remain closed indefinitely after the owner of the former Duke of Somerset pub failed to fully meet a city-imposed deadline of Nov. 2 to provide proof that the building had been stabilized and it is safe for construction work to resume.
The owner, Tony Shahrasebi, still faces city and Ministry of Labour safety orders which he must meet before proceeding with the renovations to the site, which began in the summer of 2005.
City spokesman Eric Collard said documentation had been provided by the deadline, but it was “deemed unsatisfactory.”
The owner and the city are “working together to rectify the situation,” Collard said. There will not be a new deadline.
Shahrasebi has already said he will keep the building, and after construction and renovations are complete, it “won’t be any kind of pub.”
He declined to elaborate on his plans for the site or comment on the collapse directly.
The building, on the southeast corner of Bank and Somerset streets, partially collapsed on Oct. 19, trapping a worker in the rubble for two hours and prompting the city to close sections of Bank and Somerset streets to traffic.
The Ottawa Police Service initially warned drivers to expect detours around the area for about one week, but now the road closures have been extended indefinitely.
“The city is in control of the site right now,” said Bruce Skeass, spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Labour.
“It’s the city that is keeping the streets and sidewalks closed. They’ve got concerns about the stability of the building on the property, and that’s why everything’s stopped until their concerns are satisfied.”
Ministry of Labour documents show problems with the reconstruction project.
Inspectors have visited the site seven times since 2005 and issued 21 safety orders since construction resumed in May after a 17-month hiatus.
After the collapse, a ministry inspector and two engineers visited the site daily to conduct a formal investigation. They issued the most recent safety orders, which entailed stabilizing the structure and providing documentation including architectural schematics and training records for the employees of TKS Holding, the construction contractor.
According to ministry documents, a TKS engineer indicated to the inspector on Oct. 25 that the building had been stabilized and was ready for access. But the city’s engineers disagreed and closed down the site until proper documentation of the stabilization could be provided and checked, setting a deadline of Nov. 2.
“It’s [Shahrasebi’s] decision as far as what to do with the building,” Peter Black, city manager of building inspections, said last week. At the time, it was unclear whether the building might need to be demolished.
“Right now, it’s a precautionary measure that we feel is necessary to protect the public,” he added. “As soon as we are in a position to keep the building safe, we will give the okay for the roadways to be opened up.”