A while back Urbanrat sent me some photos of the slums at 501 Erie St. W.
He wrote:
A very concerned resident of the area bounded by Erie Street west, between Bruce Ave and Janette Ave, is very upset about this derelict property at 501 – 529 Erie Street West, a row of townhouses.
This citizen and other residents are very concerned about the state of the building, especially the back wall of some units. They have called the city, their councillors Jones and Postma to have some action taken towards the property, many a time!
The owner has it listed for a rental property but refuses to repair or demolish the building (thus losing revenue tax credit).
There has been reports of squatters, kids et al entering the building at night under the tarps, with neighbours seeing candles or flashlights on in the rooms.
He sent along the following photos:
When I got to this photo he took, of the City Issued order, I stopped, because the order was AN ORDER TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING AND CLEAR THE SITE ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 1, 2008.
Seeing as it’s now October 3, I thought, I better make sure the place isn’t gone before I post these photos… So yesterday afternoon, I cruised on over to 501 Erie St. W.
Guess what?
The mess is still there… Unbelievable. For the amount of money we spend in taxes living in this city, someone should be embarrassed that this mess is still standing 63 days AFTER the deadline to demolish it. However, I guess if it’s not something sexy like a canal or a big new shiny arena, then it’s not high on the list of priorities for the City to deal with?
Where are Councillors Jones and Postma? Obviously, this isn’t in Sandwich, so Ron Jones will have no interest in looking after it… But where’s Postma? This is kind of her neighbourhood? Too busy with her own burned out rental properties? Nothing like looking after the people who elected you. What a mess Ward 2 is. 2010 isn’t coming quick enough.
Here are a few photos from yesterday afternoon.
I was blown, away to drive over there and to find this place still standing. Is it standard practice for a building to be standing a full two months after the deadline to demolish has passed? This place is a danger to the surrounding community.
Broken, boarded up windows…
Bricks falling off the back of the building… Yeah. I’m sure the neighbours feel much safer with that tarp in place.
The screen door is missing off one of the entrances, the window is missing from the one next to it…
Overgrowing plants, and yellowing, mouldering mail from who knows when in the mail boxes.
There’s that same order.
Based on the extent and nature of the defects the owner shall demolish this structure in its entirety and leave the site in a clear and level manner.
…
YOU ARE HEREBY REQUIRED, by this Order, to do the work required to repair the defects set forth in this Order and make the said property conform to the standards set forth in the said By-law ON OR BEFORE: AUGUST 1st, 2008
Click here to download legible copy of the order.
Looking at the owner’s name it is listed as:
Philip Katz
c/o Walter Muroff
333 Riverside Dr. W.
Suite 218
Windsor, ON
N9A 7C5
A quick google turns up nothing on Katz, but Walter Muroff is a mortgage broker… http://www.waltermuroff.yp.ca/index.htm. But, oh look at this… http://www.fstontario.ca/english/decisions/mortgagebroker/M0280-2006-1.pdf… It just happens to be a a copy of the hearing of the Financial Services Tribunal against Walter Muroff & Co., Ltd.
Muroff was nailed for not filing his financial statements in a timely manner, for 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004, and had his registration suspended for nine months.
Talk about bad judgement! Either Larry Horwitz:
or
or
Maybe Larry should call his “team” to go remove those signs. Probably not the best building to associate with.
So the ball is in your court City of Windsor… Why is this dangerous eyesore still standing? Ward 2 residents, call or email your councillor to ask why this building is still standing in direct violation of a City issued order.
Maybe A-Channel, CBC or the Windsor Star could pick up this story and run with it. If any readers have any contacts in the media, feel free to tip them off.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention Urbanrat. Hopefully, the readers of this blog can help get some action taken on this issue.
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View Comments
Yup. Time x Intensity - you remember that one right, Aaron?
Aaron, if you're so concerned about your health, maybe you should move out of Windsor since Environment Canada ranks our air quality and the Detroit River as one of the most polluted in the country. Pollutants from Zug Island and other places can cause cancer and health problems. Lots of things in this city can. Yet, my lung are fine and I don't see a third arm growing out of my chest.
Even fresh water can kill you if you drink too much of it. It's all about the amount of exposure of it to your body and for most people there needs to be lots. Not that Canada mining half a billion tonnes of Asbestos a year for export to India and China should in any way suggest that such miniscule amounts of asbestos would have any significance in the grand scheme of things.
david, where the hell did i express a concern for my health? all i was suggesting was commiejay take some precautions. it's asbestos david, not cardboard. yes, the more your exposed to it, the worst you are...like i just said, just like most stuff. BUT breathing it in once, one time will probly get fibers stuck in your lungs (or just the one in your case). maybe they kill you, maybe they don't, maybe they just do it real slow and you have no idea. it's practically there forever, scarring your lungs, causing swelling and irritation which can turn into sores which can then fester into cancer. are you more at risk if you make brake pads? hell yes. if you make brake pads and your wife and kids don't are they at a greater risk? hell yes.
it's bad stuff, no matter how you cut it. i know there are plenty of things in this city that can and probly will give me cancer. for example: everyone here on IM is at a greater risk of developing brain tumors from reading you mindless anti-everything-on-the-planet campaigne day in and day out.
granted, i do suppose my 8 years of being on a HAZMAT and confined space rescue team has taught me nothing about chemicals and exposure levels. so i'll just bite my tounge on subject and wait for mondays post. i really really thought this might be the one post where you didn't insist on being a complete tool, but i guess that's strike two for me on this post.
you are simply unbelievable.
Note to self: don't talk to people blowng things completely out of proportion or you'll get called "mindless" and a "complete tool." What a very intelligent response, Aaron. You are soooo smart and everybody else is plain stupid. That's why you have to name call because your arguments are so well thought out--that'll convince the readers. Yep, you're quite the persuader.
thanks for the compliment david, but that's not completly true. i don't think anyone one here is stupid..... suprisingly, not even you.
but i do have another name for you: hypocrite
harsh word, i know....but ..........
"Paul, you are the biggest brainwashed retard I’ve ever met. Go back to kindergarten and get your diploma"
or if that's not jogging your memory, how about:
"Just keep doing what you’re doing and judgment will come and you’ll be knocked off your arrogant pedestal soon enough. Then, you’ll be wondering why you can’t find another high paying job like you’ve got now. You’ll destroy yourself and then we’ll see who has the last laugh, jackas-s."
still nothing? maybe:
"Oh,and the owner wouldn’t have gotten away with it if there wasn’t a union, Paul, because what he was doing was ILLEGAL. But, I guess you’re too stupid to understand that."
don't you remember writting all this stuff david? these are direct quotes of yours, in one post.
am i wrong? is hypocrite the wrong word? i suppose had i attended kindergarden a little more often instead of skipping out all the time, i would have gotten that diploma and would know exactly what word to use.
i am seriously done with this now.
sorry andrew, i truly am. but it was either respond of pull the skin off my own face. ;)
jesus i didn't mean to start a fight.
i've probably had exposure to it before. recently actually. there was a house next door to mine (Dougall and Erie) demolished and there's a good chance it had asbestos
I am the biggest brainwashed retard! lol how about you david you queer.you are such a jealous moron about unions.YOU BRING up unions in posts that have nothing to do with them like the old railway now you are attacking people on here wow YOU ARE A LOWLIFE HOW ABOUT YOU GO BACK TO KINDERGARTEN YOU TARD!!! In kindergarten they teach you about respect others.something you david never learned because you were too stupid back then
aaron is right david you are nothing but a hypocrite who starts bashing people if they dont agree with you
This is the last time i am going to respond to you david first the railway you bring up unions which had nothing to do with the article then this apartment building you start attacking aaron for no reason because you dont agree with him. if you have nothing to good to say then dont say anything at all. I am done argueing with you david
me and my damn mouth (fingers)
commiejay....not your fault. it's my fault. erie and dougal? what got demolished there???
according to OSHA damn near everyone has been exposed at somepoint in their life. but that's just what's floating around in general. i was just pointing out the dangers...i think you should be ok, just be on the safeside and wear a mask. couldn't hurt anymore than.....asbestos in your lungs lol
paul......i'm sorry i brought that up man. i thought you had already read it. thanks for the defense though!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE though guys....no more. i feel bad enough that this got this far and i let it happen when i could have ignored him. that's just...not my style though lol
case closed? sweet. :)