Target return date for displaced 650 Parliament residents pushed back again - Action News
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Toronto

Target return date for displaced 650 Parliament residents pushed back again

More than 1,500 people were forced to leave their units in the highrise at 650 Parliament Street on Aug. 21, 2018, when a electrical fire tore through the building.

The estimated date for their return has been pushed back several times in recent months

Dozens of Toronto firefighters battled the flames at the Parliament Street highrise on August 21. The fire destroyed the building's electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems. (Robert Krbavac/CBC)

Residents of a St. James Town highrise displaced by a major fire last summer won't be able to return to their homes until at least August, a spokesperson for the property management companysaid Saturday.

The estimated date for their return has been pushed back several times in recent months.

More than 1,500 people were forced to leave their units in the highrise at 650 Parliament Street on Aug.21, 2018, when a electrical fire tore through the building.

Residents were initially told to expect to move back into their units in early 2019. Then, last month, Wellesley Parliament Squarethe company that owns the highrisesaid they may be able to return in June.

Spokesperson Danny Roth confirmed Saturday, however, that the target date is now late August.

According to Roth, the property manager anticipates repairs could cost upward of $46 million by the time the restoration is complete. He has previously told CBC Toronto that damage to the building was "catastrophic" and the work has required some 100 construction personnel at the site daily.

The fire started in the basement of the building andsent thick plumes of smoke pouring out of multiple apartments, causing substantial structural damage and knocking out the electrical system.

The ceilings in all of the corridors had to be removed to release trapped smoke, and most of the electrical components in the building had to be torn out and replaced.

"It's a monumental task. From top to bottom, it needs repair. We have got every conceivable resource from a construction and financial perspective," Roth said.

"As we go we get a clearer indication of what the damage is and what it looks like. But we also recognize it is a fluid and evolving situation."

Many residents were initially put up in hotels at the property management company's expense. Ward 13 Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents the area where the building is located, said in February that all residents are now staying in apartments and condos in the vicinity, or with family and friends elsewhere.

According to Roth,Wellesley Parliament Squarehas spent some $10 million on direct financial assistance for tenants. The company told residents in December that the assistance would continue until the end of April, at which point they will be updated on any potential changes to the program.

With files from Lucas Powers and Kelda Yuen