Dumpsters full of trash: Developers face reality of Saint John purchase

Developers taking over dozens of old Saint John apartment buildings are finding themselves up to their armpits in trash and brokenpipes.

Most of the apartment houses are two or three storeys, wood-framed and empty.

Thirty-three are in the old north end, and another 14 are in the Waterloo Village area.

PMV Canada Inc. bought the buildings during the fall after the previous owner, Phillip Huggard Properties Ltd., slipped into bankruptcy.

Most need work

While a few of the buildings are occupied, the majorityneed major renovations before anyone can move in.

And firstcomes a cleanup.

"The biggest issue, I think, is garbage," said DavidLoten, PMV's chief operating officer.

"We have a 16-foot dump-trailer that has run non-stop since Nov. 8 every day," he said. "We haven't even scratched the surface."

Loten said about 40 per cent of the apartments contain large amounts of trash, rotting food, old clothing and furniture.

In some cases, the company has also foundneedles, drug paraphernalia andsome nearly-invisible hangers-on.

You've got a real bedbug problem in this city- David Loten, PMV Canada

"You've got a real bedbug problem in this city," Loten said.

"We've been spraying for bedbugs, spraying for fleas. Fleas and bedbugs."

Despite the challenges, Loten insisted he and PMV Canada knew what they were getting into.

Work is already underway installing drywall and repairing pipes, he said, and tenants might start moving into some buildings in January.

Windfall for water department

In the meantime, the PMV transaction brought some unexpected money to the Saint John's water department.

A cheque for $115,000 to cover water bills that had remained unpaid for months arrived at city hall with the closing of the deal.

The funds helped the department reach an $808,000 surplus in its 2016 budget.