Oeza president Michael Jones said the foundation of the 114-year-old fourplex collapsed during the demolition, causing walls to fall outward rather than inward, as was planned.
Neighbouring properties suffered damage during the demolition of a fourplex in James Bay on Thursday and Friday, including when the building’s walls collapsed outward.
The building at 50 Government St. was demolished to make way for a three-unit townhome complex planned by Victoria-based Oeza Developments.
Oeza president Michael Jones said the foundation of the 114-year-old fourplex collapsed during the demolition on Friday, causing walls to fall outward rather than inward, as was planned.
He said the Thursday and Friday incidents were unrelated, adding that he made sure work safety procedures were followed when the garage demolition happened Thursday before proceeding to the fourplex on Friday. Properties were damaged in both demolitions.
Neighbour Gayle Nelson said a wall that collapsed onto her home ripped off the eaves, tore off some shingles, cracked interior plaster and knocked items off shelves, including a lamp.
Nelson said she’s lucky that the home was earthquake-bolted to the foundation 15 years ago.
Otherwise, she thinks the force could have shifted the entire house. She’s meeting with an insurance adjuster on Thursday to assess repair costs.
Another resident, Barbara Pedrick, said her fence was damaged when the garage at the back of the property was demolished on Thursday.
The damage was extensive enough that her daughter’s dogs could have fled the yard, though they thankfully did not, she said.
Her property sits diagonally behind 50 Government St.
Pedrick said the contractors fixed the fence enough to prevent the dogs from escaping.
Her neighbour Carolyn Sadowska’s art studio backs directly onto the property and was damaged during the garage demolition.
“They punched a hole in the back,” Sadowska said. “They were only feet away.”
Sadowska said she took photos of the studio Thursday morning before leaving to run errands because she suspected the demolition could cause damage, given how close the buildings were.
She said the contractor was quick to temporarily patch up the hole to prevent rodents from entering the studio. Her husband, John Dewhirst, said the way the demolition was carried out reminded him of a “bull in a china shop.”
He said the company promised a permanent fix to the hole in Sadowska’s studio. “I certainly hope they’ll be good on his word,” he said.
Another neighbour said their four-by-ten-foot vegetable and flower garden was crushed by the collapse, sprinkling paint and plaster on the soil, ruining a decade of work, they said.
Jones said he’s sorry for the damage and has been in touch with neighbours about repairs.
“Obviously, I would not be happy if this happened to me,” he said.
While the foundation appears intact at the front of the property, Jones said its collapse happened at the back left and right corners of the structure.
Jones said crews followed safe working procedures, including obtaining permits, testing materials, scrapping and salvaging the interior and walking through the building immediately before demolition.
The builder’s initial plan was to build a five storey, 17-unit rental property on the site, but several proposals were rejected by the city, with the most recent in April.