No matter what, Kitchener’s top building official says, there’s no way demolition of the Mayfair Hotel will begin next week.
“The demolition permit could be issued as early as Monday, April 27, and demolition could start that day,” director of building Mike Seiling told CTV News in an interview.
Thursday, Seiling ordered that the building be demolished due to what a consultant termed “unsafe and unstable” conditions inside.
Young Street was blocked off at King Street, amid worries the historic hotel could collapse.
Built in 1905, the hotel was expected to be renovated in the coming years.
Instead, an inspection following a weekend plumbing issue turned up structural issues significant enough that engineering reports were ordered for the building.
“It was much worse than just a small hole in the foundation wall,” Seiling said.
“There’s an immediate threat – that’s why we’ve taken the action that we’ve taken.”
The building’s owner has until Tuesday to apply for a demolition permit.
That permit alone isn’t enough for demolition work to begin. City councillors must also revoke their intention to designate the building as a heritage property, which is expected to happen next Thursday.
After that, Seiling says, demolition work could be wrapped up in a week.
“Once we start, it’ll go fairly quickly,” he said.
Anita Petsche, who owns a shoe store across from the building, says she was surprised to learn of the Mayfair’s impending demolition.
“We’ve looked forward very long to having it developed into the boutique hotel they said it’d be,” she said.
Seiling said that prior to this week, he was last in the Mayfair in the summer of 2014.
At that time, he said, the structural issues now forcing its demolition did not exist.
