A commercial building in downtown Kelowna has been evacuated after damage was discovered both on the inside and outside of the structure.
The damage at 1405 St.Paul St. was first discovered on Nov. 25.
The building, home to several tenants who have been displaced as a result, is directly south of the massive UBC Okanagan downtown campus construction site — where the Daily Courier newspaper once resided for many years.
“The city provided the direction to not occupy the building,” said Lance Kayfish, risk manager with the City of Kelowna.
The construction project includes the deepest excavation in the city’s history — a pit equivalent to about five storeys for an underground parkade.
“During a large excavation like the one that’s happening in this project, some settlement does sometimes occur and can affect surrounding buildings,” said Kayfish.
The St. Paul Street building is the latest structure in the area to have sustained damage.
Earlier this fall, Branch 26 of the Royal Canadian Legion had bricks coming loose. And next door, a brand new affordable housing complex sustained foundation cracks.
UBC Okanagan spokesperson Nathan Skolski told Global News that ground settling created some damage to the exterior face of the building and some interior elements.
“The building was placed on a precautionary do-not-occupy order out of an abundance of caution so that the exact nature of the damage could be more fully assessed,” Skolski stated.
He went on to say that UBC Okanagan is working closely with the city and building owners as engineering teams examine the structure to ensure there is no additional risk.
“A structural engineer is reviewing that damage and they will be making a determination about the extent of the damage and whether or not the building is safe to occupy,” Kayfish said.
When asked when that report might be finished, Kayfish said “very soon.”
UBC Okanagan and its construction teams have equipped surrounding buildings with land surveying devices that monitor for structural movements.
One of those buildings is a condo complex on Bertram Street.
“We’re keeping an eye on it and we have let all the residents know about what’s happening, and what they should keep an eye for in their apartments and common areas,” said building resident Cliff Paice.
He said it appears so far so good, adding he’s grateful for the monitoring devices.
“It’s a comfort to us to know that we will have some kind of proof,” Paice said. “I would hope that they would be honest with us and not try to put it under, you know, sweep it under the rug.”
While no work stoppage is expected as a result of the damage happening, the city said it is monitoring the construction closely.
“The city and the project team for this project are in constant communication and getting regular updates not only on the impacts of the construction, but the corrective actions and things that are being done to prevent or minimize any further damage,” Kayfish said.
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