VIDEO Demolition Ordered for Burned Out Windsor Restaurant
After a lengthy and frustrating legal battle, the city can now demolish a burned out Windsor restaurant.
The former Le Chef Restaurant and adjoining Downtown Auto Service at 840 Wyandotte St. E. went up in flames back in May of 2016. Since then, neighbours have been complaining to city officials about squatters using drugs and leaving drug paraphernalia like needles on the property.
The inside of the burned out building that used to be the Le Chef Restaurant, 840 Wyandotte St. E., August 8, 2019 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
The city has tried to have the building taken down, first with a former owner, then with the current owner — but the current owner did not comply with the city's order to redevelop the property or demolish the structure, according to Deputy Chief Building Official Rob Vani.
He tells AM800 News the courts have now given the city the right to tear it down.
"They went to court last month and the courts found the owner of property guilty and levied a fine against them for failing to comply with our order," he says. "If they don't do that in the next three to four weeks we'll just carry on with our normal processes If there's no contact from the owner we'll be in a position to demolish it sometime in late September or early October."
Based on the city's past dealing with the owners, Vani says the city will have little patience moving forward.
"We would probably not entertain any delay tactics on it. We would stipulate certain timelines for them to comply and those would be short timelines," he says.
In addition to being ordered by the court to comply with the city order, the owner was fined $10,000.
The property will be torn down by the city at the owner's expense if they fail to comply, according to Ward 4 Councillor Chis Holt.