Renovations expand at storm-ravaged Churchill Square apartment building

Every tenant at Churchill Square Apartments in St. John's will be out of their homes for about nine months, according to the property manager.

Owners of the St. John's apartment building have decided that all 63 residential units should see extensive renovations, according to Charlie Oliver, head of property management companyMartekMorgan-Finch.

• Storm damage worse than thought, Churchill Square tenants displaced for months

Last week, he saidabout 40units were set to be extensively renovated.

Now Oliver sayseach residential unit will be torn down to the studs and rebuilt, a process that should take about nine months.

The roof of the apartment complex was heavily damaged by hurricane-force winds on March 11.

Thestructure saw furtherdamagea few days later after heavy rains sent waterthrough temporary repairs made tothe roof.

Oliver saysthe property owners are taking a precautionary approach to ensure that all damageis found and repaired.

"Strip off all the Gyprock so that any water that was after getting in is obviously gone, and you remove the probability of mold and that happening [in] three and four years," he said.

"Even in units that didn't seem like they had a lot of damage."

Looking for accommodations

While the apartment owners are not offering financial compensation, Oliver said his group is working to help tenants find other accommodations.

"We've been doing our best to connect directly all of the 63," he said Wednesday.

• Water-damaged Churchill Square buildings could be closed for months

Oliver said the business tenants on the ground level of the building should only be out for 3 months.