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Demolition may soon start at Kensington apartment building evacuated over safety concern

Click to play video: 'Calgary apartment building evacuated for unsafe conditions may soon be demolished'
Calgary apartment building evacuated for unsafe conditions may soon be demolished
WATCH: There are new developments at the Kensington apartment complex evacuated after fears the building might collapse. As Gil Tucker reports, workers clearing it out say the wrecking ball is on the way – Jun 12, 2018

The wrecking ball may soon swing into action at a Calgary apartment building evacuated because of concerns it might collapse.

Work crews were at Kensington Manor on Tuesday clearing out much of what was left inside.

“They’ll do a demolition,” worker Ken Clarke told Global News. “It’ll be flattened, torn right down.”

The building’s 125 tenants were given 15 minutes to leave on November 23, 2017, after officials with the City of Calgary determined it was unsafe and ordered an evacuation.

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The building has been vacant ever since.

Global News tried contacting Kensington Manor’s owner on Tuesday, but so far there hasn’t been a response.

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City officials said they haven’t received an application for a demolition permit, but they’re now giving the building’s owner until June 30 to decide whether to make repairs or tear the complex down.

“When you let a building sit in that kind of condition for long periods of time it’s just not good for the community,” Wayne Brown with the city’s safety response unit said.

As items like doors and stoves, sinks and toilets piled up outside Kensington Manor on Tuesday, with news of its possible demolition was sinking in around the neighbourhood.

“I lived there myself, back when I was a young girl.” Jackie Larkham said. “I’m sad to see a lot of it go. I have a business (in Kensington) that’s 73 years old, so yeah, it’s progress, but it’s sad at the same time, because history gets lost.”

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