Priestly Demolitions tearing apart the 70 year old building on Yonge Street. (Maheen Malik)
Maheen Malik
A downtown Toronto building was demolished Feb. 28 because it posed a safety risk after it was destroyed by fire.
Yonge Street was closed in both directions between Wellesley and Breadalbane Streets for the entirety of the day jamming traffic and impeding pedestrians. The blaze that destroyed the two-story building is still being investigated.
#CityofTO #TrafficAlert – Yonge Street remains closed in both directions from Wellesley Street to Breadalbane Street pending structural investigation of a building damaged by fire. Traffic signals have been adjusted on nearby streets to improve traffic flow on alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/VBkYdLtidr
— City of Toronto (@TorontoComms) February 28, 2018
The commercial building was slated for demolition for a new development in the area.
Pedestrians on Yonge St. watching the building demolition. (Maheen Malik)
“We have to get the occupants out of the side buildings, you know just incase, once that’s done, we need to push in the walls and push the building back so that it’s safe,” said Edwin Cabral, of Priestly Demolition.
The three-alarm fire late Feb. 25 caused a lot of disruption on the street. It took many hours into the night to tackle the blaze that went through the roof of the building.
“The cause is still being investigated but so far it’s not suspicious,” Division Chief of Fire Investigations Larry Cocco told Humber News.
The rather old building was undergoing renovations and was vacant during the incident, he said.
The building, which has undergone many renovations, is at least 70 years old, Cocco said. The building was unstable since Monday night, leading to the demolition on Wednesday.
“We are hoping to come to a conclusion in terms of the investigation within two weeks,” he said.
Debris from the fire is being analyzed for any gas leaks or construction accidents, said Cocco.