Boarded up windows, leaky sprinkler systems and dirty hallways: owners concerned with condition of Kitchener condo

After years of delays, some condo owners finally got their keys, only to discover that they say are unlivable conditions. CTV’s Jeff Pickel reports.

Some condo owners in Kitchener, Ont. finally received their keys this month, after years of delays, but say the building is far from finished.

The large four-tower condominium project at 1333 Weber Street was originally known as Elevate Condos. Construction started in 2020, but the builder ran into problems.

The original plan was to create 622 new homes by 2029. The website, which still available for the project, boasted the buildings would have electric car charging stations, a multi-sports court, a putting green, a juice bar and even yoga studios.

However, a release from Dorr Capital Corporation said the project experienced cost overruns and failed to service the loan.

Dorr also claimed construction and misspending were the main reasons behind the project’s downfall.

Work had already started on the first tower, Dorr said, when problems reached their peak and construction was halted for more than a year.

By 2024, the project was in need of a new owner to finish the job. Dorr Capital Corporation, Gentai Capital Corporation and ELM Developments teamed up to buy the project for $75 million.

It was a decision Dorr said took over 10 months to make.

For people who had put down money years earlier, the delays threw their lives into chaos.

“I bought it in 2020,” Ana Stanivuk said. “I was living with my parents at the time, and I was ready to buy my new home.”

During the summer, a final occupancy date of Sept. 19 was set for the first tower.

It meant the developer either had to meet a bare minimum standard of completion on the units or buyers would be able to terminate their contracts.

The City of Kitchener granted occupancy just in time for the deadline but, when condo owners walked into their new homes, they said they were shocked by the condition.

“We have some concerns about where the buildings are. The hallways are filthy, there’s boarded up windows still. There’s leaks in the sprinkler system in the parking garage,” said Stanivuk’s partner Jordan Bezeau.

For Stanivuk and Bezeau, the stress couldn’t come at a worse time: they are expecting their first child any day.

“There’s reason to be concerned. I don’t feel safe,” Stanivuk said. “Having my babies – I don’t feel like raising my kids here.”

The City of Kitchener said the term ‘occupancy’ is often misunderstood.

“There are technical requirements that surround basic life, fire and health safety systems,” Mike Seiling, director of building with the city, said. “Things like emergency lighting, exit signs, sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems. Does the elevator work? And is the smoke alarm working within the unit.”

Seiling said some of the issues raised by the condo owners don’t factor into the city’s decision.

“There are some things, such as dust, cleanliness, whether a kitchen cupboard has come off its hinge, baseboard trim in some condo units and the finished floor tiles in the corridors - those are important items, but the building code doesn’t prescribe those things, that they have to be complete in order for the city to issue occupancy.”

Some owners, meanwhile, are looking for other solutions.

“We had conversations with ELM Developments, to have a conversation about a mutual release [for the condo contract],” Stanivuk said. “Which has never happened. We are still waiting on questions about the mutual release.”

In response to questions about the building being ready for occupancy, ELM Developments sent CTV News the following statement.