Councillor pushes for demolition tax to clear rubble sites

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This article was published 27/04/2023 (863 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tired of looking at massive piles of debris where buildings once stood in her West End ward, city councillor Cindy Gilroy says it’s time the city tackle the problem head on.

“Right now, we are really struggling. Some of these buildings are just not getting cleaned up,” Coun. Cindy Gilroy said.

“It’s making our city look unhealthy, unsafe and unkempt. This city is going to have to take a strong stance on this and find the funding in order to make this happen.”

She has proposed city staff remove debris from demolition sites that are more than six months old. Her motion, which will be considered at a civic committee May 5, asks the city to pay the removal cost up front and explore the option of adding the cost to the property owner’s tax bill.

Rubble piles that remain after a derelict building has been demolished dot Winnipeg streets in West End and North End neighbourhoods. Some are left for months or even years.

It’s become a scourge on city resources, and a nightmare for nearby residents, Gilroy said.

In her ward, Daniel McIntyre, a massive pile of rubble has been at 694 Sherbrook St. for more than a year after fire struck the building. The site is the subject of a protracted dispute over who should pay the bill to clear it.

Meanwhile, the city has spent more $50,000 to address safety issues there, the WFPS told the Free Press in January.

There are approximately 660 vacant buildings in Winnipeg. Such sites are increasingly the source of serious fires, city data shows.

Rubble piles have become a symbol of decay. They diminish community members’ morale and prohibit the revitalization of inner-city neighbourhoods, Gilroy said.

“In my own ward, I’ve been waiting and waiting… The city has to move on these. We can’t just have crumbling buildings sitting in the middle of the city forever,” she said.

The councillor estimated removal efforts could cost the city between $10,000 and $20,000 per demolition site, which could be worthy investments considering the drain, she said.

The idea of a demolition tax has been endorsed by several public officials in recent months, including Coun. Matt Allard, who sits on the property and development committee.

Provincial legislation restricts the city’s ability to impose additional taxes on owners of vacant properties.

If the legislation needs to change, then so be it, said Gilroy.

Mayor Scott Gillingham, who spoke to reporters after hearing Gilroy’s idea, agreed demolition debris and derelict buildings pose a safety issue.

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“I’m open to the discussion as far as how we can best ensure that when a building burns, it gets cleaned up faster,” Gillingham said, adding he does not know whether imposing additional taxes will require provincial collaboration.

“That’s something I would have to look at,” he said.

Under city rules, property owners are responsible for removing debris after a structure is demolished.

The city could explore Gilroy’s suggestion of moving in and covering the cost of removal, but this would likely be reserved for extreme cases, Gillingham said.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.