Andre Bermon & Ariel Tozman –
The Toronto Community Housing Corporation says upgrades to a Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation building at 330 Gerard Street East will now be completed “next year” after the original contractor went bankrupt.
Brook Restoration Ltd., brought on for a “compressive retrofit” of the property in early 2023, was to complete the retrofit project by last summer for $9.4 million. Publicly available documents show the company filed for insolvency in February of this year.
Atwill Morin was hired to complete the job at 330 Gerrard, also known as Donvale Manor (owned by TCHC but operated by the Seniors Corporation). The building is a seven-storey apartment from the mid-1970s, containing 81 residential units.
According to Architectural Counsel Inc., a consultancy retained by TCHC, the retrofit was warranted “to meet current accessibility standards, increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve resident comfort.” Work included mechanical and electrical upgrades and replacement of existing masonry façade with new cladding. Original completion time was to be last year.
In an emailed statement, TCHC called the project “massive and complicated.” It added:
“All TCHC retrofit projects require both performance and material bonding as a pre-requisite for projects of this size. Bonding is a third-party financial guarantee that’s issued by a bank or insurance company. It ensures the contractor fulfills its obligations. If a contractor fails to complete the project, or defaults, the performance and material bonding compensates TCHC or steps in to finish the work. This is how Atwill Morin was hired to complete the work at 330 Gerrard.”
Since construction started, 330 Gerrard has been engulfed by mesh and scaffolding that has limited residents’ use of windows and balconies. A resident – who declined to give the bridge her name for fear of undermining relations with TCHC – said many tenants have complained about noise and dust for months. She said the new company is working “very hard” and blames the previous contractor’s bankruptcy for the delay in completion.
A TCHC spokesperson said, “Onsite staff remain in regular contact with tenants, providing updates and finding solutions to any challenges that may come up.”
TCHC says it has provided tenants with portable air conditioning units and “other provisions” to ensure their comfort. “Many tenants now also have access to the newly installed mechanical systems which feature the newly introduced cooling unit,” the corporation said in an email. Work also includes new windows, and high-efficiency mechanical systems – including air conditioning for the first time for all units.
“When completed, it will significantly increase tenant comfort and reduce energy and carbon expenditures. As noted, work began in 2023, and it is now expected to be completed next year… (S)ignificant structural issues were discovered during the course of construction that required extensive remediation and repair. This, in effect, introduced a second urgent structural remediation project into the original project.”
TCHC said the existing $9.4 million budget is funding the additional remediation work.
