![]() The housing corporation is assuring all tenants that they will be engaged in the planning and development process and that they will have the “opportunity to return to Swansea Mews once it is safe to do so.” One notable requirement for approving the demolition permit will be that all units must be equivalently replaced. Westwood, a mother of five, was well-known and very involved in Swansea Mews where she served as the vice-president of the resident group among other things.Īt this point, the TCHC said it’s “too early” to say what a potential rebuild and/or replacement of units at Swansea Mews will look like. Hopps said the abrupt move has been hard on her mom, whose mental health has been “tremendously” affected by it. Her mother, Sandra Westwood, lived at Swansea Mews for 38 years until she was forced to relocate last summer when the complex was deemed unsafe. Hopps grew up in the TCHC community and still keeps in close contact with several people who used to live there. “It’s really sad,” Stephanie Hopps said, adding Swansea Mews was a place where “everyone helped each other.” Some former tenants residents who spoke with said that the complex was once well kept, but was allowed to fall into disrepair in recent years. The ceiling collapse at Swansea Mews displaced approximately 420 tenants. “As such, we have decided to move away from repairs and refurbishment to meet safety requirements,” TCHC told. That plan completely changed course after an extensive investigation by third-party architectural and structural engineers determined that “failure to demolish the townhouse units would present ongoing risks for tenants.” In fact, the ceiling collapse occurred just few months before a Request for Proposals was to be issued for revitalizing the aging complex, according to local councillor Gord Perks. That June 12 order required the housing provider to relocate any remaining tenants until work was completed that would make the buildings safe for them to return.Įven before the emergency situation, TCHC had planned to do a “deep retrofit” of the west-end property. Roughly three weeks after the May 27 incident, the city issued an ' Order to Remedy Unsafe Building’ to Toronto Community Housing Corporation for Swansea Mews. The report further stated that “another failure could occur at random and there was no way of knowing absent destructive testing which units were safe to occupy.” In a nine-page report, which will be presented to the board at the upcoming meeting, TCHC staff pointed to two different engineer reports which found that the nine residential blocks in the complex near The Queensway and Windermere Avenue are “not safe for occupancy.” That is why we are seeking to apply for a permit with the City as the buildings are unsalvageable,” a TCHC spokesperson wrote in a statement emailed to. “Our staff and team of independent engineers have determined that the best course of action to guarantee the safety of our tenants was to demolish the buildings located in our Swansea Mews community. On Friday, Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) will be seeking authorization from its board of directors to apply to the City of Toronto for a permit to tear down Swansea Mews at 21 Windermere Ave. A 154-unit public housing complex in Toronto’s west end that was deemed unsafe for occupancy last June after a ceiling collapse seriously injured one of its tenants could soon be demolished.
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