Officials working to determine next steps for downtown Ottawa parkade following partial collapse

Playing null of undefined

Nearly 50 cars trapped in partially collapsed parkade

Next steps following parkade partial collapse

Several people are waiting for word on the future of a downtown Ottawa parking garage and the dozens of vehicles parked inside, one day after a section of the garage collapsed, sending slabs of concrete, piles of snow and other debris crashing to the ground.

“We’re kind of left in the dark and that’s the frustrating part of all of this,” François Ste-Marie told CTV News Ottawa.

Ste-Marie’s truck is one of 50 vehicles parked in a parking garage that spans Slater Street and Laurier Avenue after the parking garage partially collapsed early Wednesday morning.

“I saw the images of my red truck being on a lot of the media sources,” Ste Marie said, noting his red pick-up truck is parked next to the section that was demolished by construction crews.

“I was shocked and worried as to, you know, what the next steps were going to be and how long this was actually going to take.”

Construction crews conducted an “isolated demolition” in the area of the structure that collapsed facing Slater Street, as officials continue to investigate the cause of the partial collapse and assess the integrity of the structure.

“They worked overnight to remove the debris from the building,” Scott Lockhart, Ottawa’s Program Manager, Building Code, told CTV News Ottawa on Thursday.

“At least in that first section, they demolished the part that was initially compromised. What they’re doing with that now is gaining access so the engineers can come out and decide what amount of shoring or what can be done to support the structure in the interim.”

Slater Street reopened to traffic between Bank Street and O’Connor Street Thursday afternoon.

• Downtown Ottawa parkade closed after top floor collapses, 50 vehicles trapped

“We continue to work closely with the property owner on next steps, which have yet to be determined,” John Buck, Chief Building Official, said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

“As a reminder, Building Code Services’ role is to ensure any demolition and remedial structural work that may be necessary is carried out in accordance with the Building Code Act. Further details on the status of the parking garage are best addressed by the owner.”

A section of the garage collapsed around 4:50 a.m. Wednesday, nearly 12 hours after the Ottawa Fire Services received a 9-1-1 call reporting damage to one of the pillars in the parking garage that spans Slater Street and Laurier Avenue. The Technical Rescue Team confirmed five or six of the girders were “bowing and the structural integrity was compromised.”

Approximately 50 vehicles remained parked in the parkade following its closure. It’s unknown how many vehicles were damaged when the parkade collapsed.

• Expert calls partial collapse of downtown Ottawa parkade a ‘wake-up call’

The cause of the partial collapse remains under investigation, but city officials have said the snowbanks on the top floor of the parkade was “without a doubt” a contributing factor.

“To have that mass in that area, without a doubt it contributed, but whether it was the only cause, we won’t know that for some time,” Lockhard told Newstalk 580 CFRA on Wednesday.

The parking garage is owned by GWL Reality Advisors. A spokesperson told CTV News Ottawa Wednesday night the company is working closely with the city and a local team of experts to “address the situation, render the site safe, and allow for the removal of any vehicles.”

“We will be engaging with the relevant parties to investigate the cause of this incident.”

The City of Ottawa says under the Property Standards Bylaw, it is the responsibility of property owners to ensure the building or structure is properly maintained and is “in a structurally sound condition.”

According to Parkopedia, there are 378 parking spots in the Indigo lot on Laurier Avenue.

Last June, city staff approved a plan to build two apartment towers on the site. The plan, submitted last May, called for two mixed-use towers, with a 26-storey structure on Laurier Avenue and a 25-storey tower fronting Slater Street. The plan would include 586 homes, 129 parking spaces and commercial spaces.

The city’s development applications search page listed the application status as “Inactive” on Wednesday.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Dave Charbonneau