City says it had prior concerns about safety of 2 Hamilton buildings that partially collapsed

The City of Hamilton says it had prior, specific concerns about the safety and maintenance of the vacant buildings that collapsed across from Gore Park on Monday morning.

In a statement released Tuesday, the city says it had given owners instructions to address specific concerns with the building on July 22, but they did not comply.

The city says it initiated further enforcement actions last week to make the owners maintain the safety and integrity of the buildings.

City officials are now working with the owner to ensure the engineer hired by that owner properly determines what needs to be done to make the site safe and workers complete it, including further demolition work, which is expected.

They say a nearby building was also damaged and the residents of that building have been evacuated as a precaution.

The building is owned by Hughson Business Space Corporation. Its managing partner, David Blanchard, told CHCH News that the company “commissioned regular engineering reports to assess the building’s structural integrity and recommend safety interventions. These reports indicated no signs of imminent collapse, and all recommendations were implemented.”

WATCH MORE: No one injured after building collapse in Hamilton’s Gore Park