UBC Okanagan officials are looking to get into a recently evacuated subsidized housing complex to evaluate stability-threatening cracks found in its foundation.
“We have extended an offer and a request through BC Housing to be granted access to Hadgraft Wilson Place as quickly as possible to assess possible repairs,” UBCO spokesperson Nathan Skolski said in an email.
“As this property does not belong to UBC Properties Trust, we are awaiting decisions by BC Housing and their insurance providers to provide any engineering reports or advice that highlight the extent and nature of any needed remediation. Given that these engineering assessments were commissioned by BC Housing and their insurers, we do not have access to them at this time and cannot speak to their findings, if any.”
Cracks can be easily found throughout Hadgraft Wilson Place, and floors and windows have shifted out of place. The building, which neighbours the UBCO excavation site and was home to more than 80 people with varying cognitive and physical limitations, was placed on an evacuation order April 1. Tenants dispersed to local motels, and many have had to move more than once.
It’s been a hardship felt by many and the end date remains unknown.
“Decisions on the conditions necessary for the evacuation order to be rescinded will be made by the City of Kelowna and the Fire Chief,” Skolski said.
“We are actively urging all parties to allow remediation work to begin, if required, as quickly as possible so that residents can return to their homes swiftly and safely.”
UBCO downtown construction site workers have been working to increase the overall depth of the site with the placement of gravel.
Skokski said UBCO has been advised by independently peer-reviewed professional engineers that the shoring wall, first identified as the root of earlier concerns for the safety of Hadgraft Wilson Place, remains stable and that raising the excavation depth will further mitigate the potential for any future soil settlement on adjacent land.
That effort began shortly after the evacuation prompted a volunteer pause in construction.
As that work continues, the concern for residents continues. Last Friday, Okanagan College offered up its residence building until mid-August for displaced building tenants. Now UBC Okanagan is following suit.
“We are very appreciative of the accommodation and support that Okanagan College is able to offer to displaced tenants from Hadgraft Wilson Place. The college is close to downtown and to a variety of services, so it provides an excellent option for residents,” Skolski said.
“Now that exams have ended and students have begun moving out, we are pleased to also offer space in UBCO’s student residences. We have a variety of housing units that can accommodate the different needs of the HWP tenants. As space becomes available, Hadgraft Wilson Place residents who wish to stay at UBCO are more than welcome.”
Arrangements are already being made by Pathways Abilities Society, the non-profit that owns and operates Hadgraft Wilson Place, to try to secure accommodations for residents after August.