Theatre company parking lot sinks into construction site next door

A stalled condo development in central Edmonton has created problems for a neighbouring theatre company, which has seen part of its parking lot collapse.

The development next door is the future site of the Infiniti on 105 condo building, at 11711 105th Ave.. The building's website boasts that Infiniti on 105, which was supposed to open in 2016, "is ideal for anyone seeking a quiet home within minutes of downtown's lively atmosphere."

At present, the condo building is only an underground parking garage surrounded by an excavated hole that has been shored up on three sides. The fourth side is sloped inward against the outer wall of the parking garage.

Next door to the constructionsite, the parking lot of theMagic Lantern Theatres head office has started to sink down the slope into the excavated hole.

Bob Evans, director of development for the theatre company, said he first noticed the damage over the summer and notified the condo developer, Columbia Avenue Development. Barriers were placed along the edge of the theatre company's sinking parking lot, and are still there.

Evans said his company's parking lot continues to slowly disappear into the construction site. A site survey is pending to determine where the property line lies and how much damage has been done.

"We keep thinking it's done, but it keeps going," said Evans."Every time we go back there's bigger cracks. The wall is angled in more and our hole is deeper."

Columbia Avenue Development is a partnership between the Squareland Group and BCM Homes. Evans said he has contacted the owners numerous times and still has no answers about when the site will be repaired.

"The insurance company for the development, the developer and the construction company all have not communicated with us very well," Evans said. "They haven't given us a timeline, and that causes us a little bit of concern."

Evans said hewould like to work with the condo developer to get them to repair the sunken edge of his parking lot. But he said that window is closing and the theatre company may have to hire someone to do the repairs and pay for it themselves.

They've received a quote for $225,000 to supply and install temporary shoring for the collapsed excavation wall.

"We'll probably have to undertake that work within a week or two, just to make sure we're done by winter," Evans said. "Or this could get even worse."

Trapped shoring equipment

Another company isclaiming financial setbacks after the slow collapse of the sloped excavationwall. Lowell Pugh owns Nor-Kam's Investment Ltd, which was hired to help construct the parking garage.

His shoring equipment remains inside the concrete parking garage. The dirt from the sloped wallhas fallen against the parking garage, and he worries it has put extra pressure on the shoring frames he erected inside.

He expects his equipment has been damaged, but hasn't been able to check because he hasn't had an update from the developer about the safety of the site.

On top of that, Pugh claims he hasn't been paid for work completed from February to May. He has filed a lien against the developer for $364,000.

"It's almost broke me," said Pugh. "Not only has he damaged my shoring but he has 60 tonnes of rebar in there on top of it. And there's no way for me to get it out."

Pugh worries that a rainy summer turned the construction site into mud.

The insurance company representing the condo development refused comment, citing privacy concerns.

CBC News has reached out to the directors of Columbia Avenue Development. One has declined comment, while the other did not respond to interview requests.

Travis.mcewan@cbc.ca @Travismcewancbc