Neighbours impatient with Magee House limbo

Stabilization work to reopen the sidewalk in front of Magee House can't come soon enough for businesses that say they're suffering because of the disruption.

The heritage stone building partially collapsed last July and a perimeter fence has closed the sidewalk and cost parking spots out front.

The city stillsaysit could be weeks or months before the stretchon the north side of Wellington Street W. between Carruthers and Stirling avenues can reopen.

Cecilia Long, a manager at the Oresta Spa right next to Magee House, said businesses have lost clients.

"It's meant that there arefewer customers willing to comebecause they can't find parking spots or they find it frustrating to find parking spots. People walking here are saying that it's dangerous," Long said.

"It's not just us. It's neighbouring businesses too."

Long said the lack of a firm timeline for completing the work is "disappointing."

Gawkers, not shoppers

Guru Sharma said his restaurant next door hasbeen affected by the same factors and all the more frustrating he'll still see foot traffic on the south side of the street.

"Most of the time people come to the other side of the road and they click the pictures and then they leave. They don't even see that there's a business nearby," Sharma said.

He is also frustrated that the timeline for clearing the road blockage seems to keep moving from month to month.

"There is an issue with believing [what I hear]," he said.

Owner 'antsy' to get started

Magee House owner OvidioSbrissasaid he is committed to getting the stabilization done as soon as the weather permits.

"You guys that are antsy about getting the street back and the sidewalk back so am I, because I have to live and work there," he said.

However, Sbrissa said it's difficult to pin down when work will happen because it needs to be warmer to pour concrete, and stones that fell from the building need to be picked up by hand.

"It's almost like an archeological dig at this point," he said.

Sbrissa said he hasn't been able to work for the last several months because he's cut off from the building. All the while, he's been incurring expenses to restore it.

He said he's looking to get back to the life he had before the collapse.