Residents of a Portage Avenue apartment building have been ordered to vacate due to structural deterioration, the city says.
The City of Winnipeg has issued an order to the owner of 2440 Portage Ave., also known as Birchwood Terrace, to immediately vacate the building under city building and emergency management by-laws due to unsafe conditions, it said in a news release late Thursday night.
The order was made after the city said it was notified of a third-party engineering inspection that discovered “severe deterioration” in various parts of the building’s structure.
A city spokesperson says there are about 180 suites in the building, but it’s not yet certain how many are occupied.
City officials will go door-to-door to let tenants know about the order to vacate and to make sure everyone leaves, the release says.
They will also visit tenants of neighbouring properties along Assiniboine Crescent to let them know that they are on an evacuation watch and to prepare to leave if needed.
It is not clear when the building will be safe enough for residents to return, but the city says it expects repairs to take several months to complete.
A reception centre to help residents find temporary accommodation, resources and support will also be established.