Brick-by-brick 608 7 street SW east façade comes down for safety
Members of The City’s Safety Response Unit (SRU), from Planning Development & Assessment, who respond to construction site or building safety incidences, continue to monitor the seven floor building 608 7 Street SW following failure of the east façade.
As directed by The City, the property owner has engaged an engineering firm, and construction company to evaluate, plan and begin work to safely remove the east façade brick-by-brick.
- Work to begin removing bricks from the top of the building, and working downward began on Tuesday, May 27, 2014
- An estimated 50 percent of bricks have been removed off the east façade to date
- Construction crews will be working from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to remove brick, weather depending
- Brick removal of the east façade is estimated at one to two weeks
- Temporary exterior envelope protection will begin to be installed as further brick is removed
- An interior wall will be put in place to protect the building from further exposure to the elements once temporary external cladding is in place
“We want to remind all owners and property managers that this week serves as an excellent reminder of why it’s so important to properly maintain your property for public safety,” notes Marco Civitarese, Chief Building Official with The City of Calgary.
“The Alberta Building Code’s primary purpose is to provide safety, and to limit the probability of injury due to structural failure. Owners and property manages should perform preventative maintenance and inspections to ensure public safety and building performance,” says Civitarese.
A maintenance bylaw to ensure the upkeep of Calgary’s building inventory is in development. The City is and will be engaging numerous stakeholders during this process including but not limited to; Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA), Canadian Condominium Institute, and Calgary Residential Rental Association.
“Building owners and manager's first priority is public safety, and we look forward to continuing our association's long standing collaboration with the city to promote industry best practices in building maintenance,” notes William Partridge, Present and Chief of Staff Officer with BOMA Calgary.
“It’s important to note that owners remain liable for ensuring due diligence is performed to maintain the upkeep of their building. They can still be fined under the current building code for creating an unsafe condition,” notes Civitarese.
Calgarians concerned with any construction site, or upkeep of a building that could impact public safety are encouraged to contact 311. The Safety Response Unit can be dispatched to investigate the concern, and take appropriate measures to ensure any unsafe conditions are resolved by owners.
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