Hamilton building collapse at downtown park could’ve had ‘terrifying’ consequences, mayor says

Two buildings that collapsed by Hamilton’s Gore Park early Monday morning were slated for demolition in 2013, only to be saved after heritage advocates pushed for a different development plan to restore their facades. However, the buildings have sat boarded up and fenced off since then. On Monday morning, the facades collapsed into a pile of rubble on the sidewalk, exposing the interior rooms to passersby who gaped at the massive hole.

The collapse of the two King Street East buildings in the morning of Nov. 11, 2024, scattered rubble across Gore Park. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but Mayor Andrea Horwath expressed that it could have been much worse. Nearby Remembrance Day ceremonies were held at the cenotaph a block east later that morning, with hundreds of people having walked by the buildings during the garrison parade the day before.

Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch described the damage as potential “demolition by neglect,” noting that firefighters have been using drones to assess the extent of the collapse. The interiors of the buildings appeared to have been exposed to the elements for quite some time. The buildings, dating back to the 1870s, were part of a development project announced in 2012 but were not demolished as planned.

The developer, associated with David Blanchard, obtained a demolition permit but agreed in 2013 to preserve the facades and incorporate them into a new project. Despite efforts to save the facades, the buildings continued to deteriorate over the years, with conflicting statements from the developer about their preservation.

City officials, including Mayor Horwath and city manager Marnie Cluckie, visited the site and expressed their commitment to investigate the cause of the collapse. The city’s heritage committee had issued the developer a building permit two years ago, but no action was taken to address the deteriorating buildings.

In the days leading up to the collapse, city staff had visited the site to try to address the situation. The downtown Hamilton Business Improvement Area (BIA) had even held a children’s hay bale maze on the site weeks before the collapse. Now, the city will issue an emergency demolition order and bring in a company to complete the work. A structural engineer will assess the surrounding buildings to determine the extent of the damage.

The collapse of the buildings in Hamilton’s Gore Park serves as a stark reminder of the importance of preserving heritage structures and maintaining the safety of our urban spaces. As investigations continue into the cause of the collapse, the city will need to address the broader issue of neglected buildings across Hamilton to prevent similar incidents in the future.