The target date for residents to be able to return to a St. James Town highrise that was devastated by fire last summer has been pushed back again.
The more than 1,500 residents that called 650 Parliament Street home were displaced by a massive six-alarm fire that caused significant damage to the building’s electrical system back on Aug. 21.
Initially, building management said that residents would be able to return in early 2019 but they later said that it would take until June for the building to be safe for occupancy again.
Now, spokesperson Danny Roth tells CP24 that the date for occupancy has been pushed back again, this time until at least late August.
By that time, residents will have been out of their homes for than a year.
Roth says that about $20 million has been spent on restoring the building so far with another $26 million in work planned to bring the total repair bill to $46 million.
The property management company for 650 Parliament has assisted displaced residents in finding temporary accommodations and, in some cases, has paid for hotel accommodations and other allowances.”
That support was previously extended until April 30 but it is unclear whether it will be extended again.
