Some businesses at Colwood Corners have closed unexpectedly after a roof collapsed early Tuesday morning due to the heavy rain.
Colwood Fire Chief John Cassidy said the call came in at about 2:30 a.m., with a request for assistance from local RCMP.
First Choice Haircutters & Kathy’s Mutt Cuts have been pushed out of their businesses due to part of the roof collapsing at #Colwood Corners early this morning. #yyj pic.twitter.com/IUdGHlHc37
— Aaron Guillen (@iaaronguillen) January 7, 2020
“Originally the call was about [a concern] for gas in the building,” Cassidy noted. Upon arrival, crews found what Cassidy estimates to be a 40-by—foot section of the roof which had caved in above two vacant units as well as some air handling equipment that fell into the units below.
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According to Cassidy, one of the units used to house the Royal Bank and the other was Mini Price, which closed its doors in April 2019.
Building supplies could be seen outside Colwood Corners, located at 1905 Sooke Rd., late Tuesday morning. Neighbouring businesses, First Choice Hair Cutters and Kathy’s Mutt Cuts, are closed until further notice. London Drugs remains open after the owners recently replaced that roof.
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The owner of the building was contacted and Cassidy said it’s up to them now, along with a structural engineer and an architect, to determine the next steps for the structure.
Colwood Fire Rescue was on scene until about 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
“It is extremely unfortunate that this event has impacted the two businesses and their patrons, but public safety must be the primary concern,” reads a statement from the City of Colwood. City staff were on site Tuesday morning to provide information about working with insurers and the property owners to track and recover any potential loss of revenue.
The building is owned by Onni Group, a Vancouver-based development company. The property has been subject to a number of development proposals including a new affordable housing development that would be the tallest mass timber building on Vancouver Island as well as construction on a mixed-use development.
According to the City of Colwood, it is not known at this time how the incident will affect the redevelopment plans but that the Onni Group will have to work with the city to adjust their plans going forward.
— With files from Shalu Mehta
kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca
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