Work on a downtown Kelowna condominium tower has ground to a halt because of unauthorized ground work.
Ellis Parc is a 14 story project on the corner of Ellis Street and Clement Avenue.
The issue is with the installation of large sheets of steel into the ground which are supports for the building’s foundation.
“The city wants to make sure we had reviewed and supported what was being put into the ground before it actually goes into the ground,” says Community Planning Manager Ryan Smith.
That didn’t happen because the ground preparation work was started without all the necessary building permit work being completed.
“Every now and then, especially in a hot market, you get contractors who are eager to get going. In this case, I think an eager contractor didn’t understand the rules the same way our building and permit team understood them,” says Smith.
The permit will have to be obtained before construction is allowed to resume,
And there’s another problem. The foundation work has caused an adjacent sidewalk and roadway to slump down, creating large cracks in the pavement.
The contractor will also have to deal with that issue which may involve opening the road bed to check if underground utilities have been affected.
The contractor declined comment to Global News.