Repairs are being carried out on a high-profile heritage building in the Winnipeg Exchange District after a city inspector warned it could collapse.
The city ordered immediate repairs in May at 92 Arthur St., a six-story heritage building formally known as the southern part of the Gault Block, after an inspection of the building found a badly crushed beam supporting the upper floor of the 119 year old building. structure.
A structural engineer hired by building owner Dennis Boyko reported the damage to the city, which issued an order to “mitigate unsafe conditions” on May 12.
Boyko proceeded to prop up the sixth floor, but also appealed the order, arguing that the city was exaggerating the risk of collapse.
“I can’t understand how you can drop the only poor beam [or] implode an entire building, ”he told the city property committee during an appeals hearing on Tuesday.
“Has there ever been a collapsed building in the entire history of the city of Winnipeg?”
The Council’s property committee rejected his appeal, although President Cindy Gilroy expressed her sympathy for Boyko and other heritage building owners.
“This is, I think, a struggle for a lot, a lot of people, to make sure they can afford to do the maintenance that is required,” Councilman Daniel McIntyre said.
“However, when it comes to security, they have to make sure that the maximum security of the people inside the building is at the forefront of everything.”
Boyko, who declined a formal interview, said the crushed beam was damaged by filtered rainwater. He told the property committee that a one-week closure ordered by the city cost thousands of dollars in sales to his retail business, Red River Book Store.
The Gault block is best known for the tunnel that runs through its central section, connecting Arthur Street with King Street.
The first four floors on the north side of the block, which is independently owned, were built in 1900, according to Heritage Winnipeg. In 1903 a two-story addition and a six-story south block were added.
The Red River Book Store is the main business on the south side of the Gault Block. The north side of the block, which faces the Old Market Square, is home to Artspace and Cinematheque.