More than one month after the Mayfair Hotel was deemed ‘unsafe and unstable,’ demolition work has finally begun.
The 110-year-old hotel, located at the corner of King and Young streets, and a building abutting it and facing King had both been ordered demolished in recent weeks.
Engineering reports found serious structural issues with both buildings, and suggested they were at risk of imminent collapse.
Tuesday afternoon, King Street was closed between Gaukel and Ontario streets so demolition equipment could move in and start taking down the hotel.
Demolition wasn’t expected to start until Wednesday, due to the need to install more security fencing on both King and Young.
“Everything went very well, and that’s why we were able to start early,” Mike Seiling, Kitchener’s director of buildings, told CTV News.
As machines began knocking down the building – starting with its upper floors – onlookers gathered on the street below to watch the progression.
King is expected to remain closed for several days as demolition work continues, with the entire project wrapping up in about two weeks.
