After a late July severe thunderstorm hammered the Edmonton region, bricks fell off the 17th floor at the Boardwalk Centre east of downtown, leaving Nikita Butakov with a damaged balcony for a couple of weeks.
“It feels pretty sad and frustrating because they’re not so cooperative. They didn’t respond,” said Butakov.
The rental company has put a temporary wooden wall to block the affected area, but Butakov, who’s also dealing with water damage from the storm, feels it’s not safe without immediate repairs.
Bricks are still on the ground, and Boardwalk told CityNews that the engineering team requested that the fallen brick be left in place for analysis, adding that the inspections were completed, and they’ll be proceeding with the cleanup of the area later Tuesday.
Butakov isn’t the only tenant living with damaged suites from the summer storm, which saw 120-kilometre winds and canceled a nearby Post Malone concert.
“We got up and the water was pouring out of our air intake down the wall. It was like a lake in here,” said Jensen Maitland.
Amanda Proudfoot said, “We’re living in mold, and we can’t have our kid here. I have a senior cat, a very senior cat. We’re both asthmatic.”
The couple lives on the 20th floor at Boardwalk Centre on Jasper Avenue and 90 Street. They say they’re frustrated with the rental company’s response to their concerns, feeling they haven’t been cooperative with their insurance company.
“After our second major flood, our ceiling started falling off. We asked for asbestos testing, which they refused to do. They came in and drilled holes into the ceiling and walls,” Maitland explained.
The company told CityNews in a statement they “take all reports of water intrusion, property damage, mold, or concerns regarding living conditions seriously.” Adding, “We work closely with resident members and their adjusters by supplying information necessary to support the claims process.”
However, Maitland says, “They told us they’re gonna start cooperating with our insurance company, but we haven’t heard much. [We were told] if the damage is caused by negligence-not fixing the roof, basically our insurance is null and void.”
While the couple is now seeking legal action, Butakov is asking Boardwalk for immediate repairs and compensation for water damage.
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