The 1,500 residents of a St. James Town high-rise who have been displaced after a six-alarm fire crippled the building’s electrical system last month will not be able to return to their homes until early 2019.
A note provided to tenants on Wednesday from property management at 650 Parliament St. said that restoration work will take at least the remainder of 2018 to finish.
“After beginning restoration work and conducting extensive testing, we have learned that you will likely not be able to move back into your apartment until sometime early in the new year,” the note read.
Emergency crews responded to a call around 12:51 p.m. on Aug. 21 at the building, just south of Bloor Street East. The fire was originally deemed a two-alarm blaze but was steadily upgraded throughout the afternoon.
Fire officials said the blaze originated in the basement of the building and smoke quickly made its way up several floors. Four people suffered minor injuries as a result of the fire.
“In my experience, I can say that damage of this significance to the building’s electrical system often requires several months for the repairs to be completed,” Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said at the time.
“While the specifics around that timing and the specifics around the repairs that are required will need to be confirmed and assessed by the owner and the electrical engineers and contractors working for the owner, as I said in my experience, I believe we are probably looking at a number of months to correct the situation.”
Displaced residents were first placed in hotels, which was paid for by the Red Cross. After that, tenants were moved into AirBnB rentals, other housing or with other friends and family.
Around 100 of the residents were placed at the Regent Park Community Centre.
But a note sent out by the city Wednesday night read, “The Regent Park Community Centre will resume regularly scheduled recreation programs and permits on Monday, Oct. 1.”
Property management at 650 Parliament St. said on Thursday they will help move those tenants in the centre to hotels around the city.