EDMONTON – The fate of the crumbling Penhorwood condominiums in Fort McMurray will go to a second ballot after the first round of voting failed to meet the threshold for action.
Results released late Monday night show owners voted 66 per cent in favour of borrowing funds to rebuild, while 26 per cent voted to sell the land. Seven per cent voted to wait for litigation to proceed before beginning to rebuild.
Condominium board rules required 75 per cent or more for any one resolution to pass.
“Before voting, owners engaged in information sharing and discussion sessions and some very lively debates. What came through was a strong sense of community and empathy for those in difficult financial situations,” spokeswoman Christine Burton said in a statement.
“Even if we are successful in getting 75% for one resolution, we still face many hurdles and complexities in carrying out the wishes of a majority of owners.” Burton said the top two choices – selling the land and borrowing to rebuild – will go to a second vote. Eligible owners will once again vote online between Oct. 31 and Nov. 7.
Mounting problems at the Penhorwood condominium complex came to a dramatic head this spring, when more than 300 people were evacuated from the two seven-year-old buildings in the middle of the night, after an engineer’s report questioned the structural safety of the two buildings.
The buildings sit boarded and empty, with owners and former residents scattered around the community and the country, and a $60-million lawsuit crawling through the courts.
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