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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

City takes a fence to vacant property

By: Staff Writer

5/06/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 1

THE City of Winnipeg has erected a fence around a West End property after its owner demolished a house but failed to fill in the foundation, leaving a hole that posed a public safety hazard.

Two years ago, the city convicted the owner of 369 Home St. under the Vacant and Derelict Building Bylaw for failing to maintain the property. The city then went through the lengthy legal process of seizing the home, issuing a call for development proposals to fix it up and even choosing one of the plans. But the existing owner transferred the property to a new owner -- who began tearing down the structure before the expropriation process could be completed, said Garry Solkoski, the city's building inspections administrator.

"It's a long process, including many steps and many hoops we have to jump through," Solkoski said. "We (now) have an existing foundation that's not secured."

The city has now cordoned off the property and will find a contractor to complete the demolition, which will include filling the hole. The cost of the work will be added to the owner's property tax bill, Solkoski said.

But with no derelict building on the property, the city will no longer attempt to seize the property or find a new use for it.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 5, 2009 A7

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1 Comments

Posted by: Pressreader

June 5, 2009 at 7:00 AM

The City might as well put up a fence around other derelict buildings in the area, as many homes are in pretty bad shape and are a disgrace to this City.