Squabble continues after Ottawa intersection reopens

A downtown Ottawa intersectionhas reopened to traffic for the first time since a building collapse eight weeks ago, but disagreements continue between the buildingowners and the City of Ottawa.

City crews began at 9 a.m. Wednesday to take down pylons and road closure signs that had been blockingthe intersection of Bank and Somerset streets since Oct. 19,whenthe brick heritage building partially collapsed on the intersection's southeast corner.

The city closed the streets out ofconcern that more of the building might collapse.

The building has since been partially torn down, and is now stable enough to allow the street to reopen and buses return to their normal routes, the city said.

The curb lanes and sidewalks directly adjacent to the building remain closed, which may affect northbound traffic on Bank Street, and the city estimates they won't reopen until January.

The Dollar It store next door to the partially collapsed building may not open until January either, said Arlene Gregoire, the city's director of building services.

"That building, unfortunately, at 299 Bank St., must remain closed for the time being until more stabilization work can be done to its foundation," she said.

Owner should pay costs: city

The city said it now wants the building owners to pay for the police and other expenses caused by the closure, including claims from local businesses thatsaid it causeda sharp drop in customers and resultinglosses of thousands of dollars.

Robert Giaccobi, who co-owns Wilde's on Bank Street, estimated he's lost $20,000.

"I've seen people literally crying over this," he said.

Nazrul Rahman, owner of Basmati restaurant, estimated he lost 40 to 60 per cent of his business.

ButDavid Dwoskin, lawyer for the owners of the partially collapsed building, said the owners didn't think it was necessary to close the intersection and they won't pay.

"From the owners' point of view,had the city done what it ought to have done when it should have done it, either there would have been no claims to have been madeby the business owners or the claims would have been much less than what is likely coming down the pipe," Dwoskin said.

Owners of nearby businesses said they are relieved the the intersection has reopened, butit shouldn't have taken the city so long.

Ed Fitzgerald, who opened the Atomic Rooster Bar and Bistro near the intersection just a couple of weeks before the partial building collapse, said the street closure caused a sharp drop in the number of customers visiting the area.

He said he now worries he's already missed out on what normally is the busiest season of the year, and the intersection is reopening just as the slowest season January and February approaches.

"The fact that it's been closed for eight weeks is approaching criminal," he said. "And it's the result of incompetence and indifference at city hall."

Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes said the city and the owner agreedto follow the advice of the engineer who allowed the building to be stabilized and the street to be reopened.

"I think that from the city's perspective, we could have moved sooner to get this specialist on side," Holmes said.

Crews began tearing down part of the damaged building last Tuesday after a long battle between the city's engineers and the owners' engineers over whether it could be safely repaired or needed to be torn down.