Engineer backs Magee House owner on cause of collapse

The owner of a historicHintonburg building that partially collapsed last month continues to blame the damage on vibrations from nearbyconstruction, and says he has an engineer's report to prove it.

An exterior stone wall of Magee House, a 19th-centuryhome at 1119 Wellington St.W., collapsed July 24.

• 'Basically a house of cards': Magee house faces further collapse
• Wellington Street W. reopens after building partially collapses
• Businesses worried about prolonged Magee House dilemma

Soon after the collapse, an engineer contracted by the city to evaluate the damage appeared to blame the shoddy condition of the limestone building, comparing it to a "house of cards."

"No two stones were held together by mortar," engineer John Cooke said at the time."There was no mortar left."

Now the owner of Magee House, architect Ovidio Sbrissa, has hired his own engineering firm to offer a secondopinion.

'Neglectful'excavation

Sbrissa, 71, maintains "neglectful" excavation work at a nearby condominium project caused the collapse.

"What caused the collapse of this building were external forces, like earthquake forces," he said.

Standing on the ground floor of his former officewhere dust coveredcomputer monitors, blueprints and drafting tables asdaylight pouredthrough a massive gap, Sbrissaadmittedparts of Magee Housemayhave been constructed using "dry" building techniqueswhere little or no mortar was used, but saidthat's not why the wall collapsed.

"This stone structure was meant to last longer than it has," he said.

Sbrissabristledat hisportrayalas an absentee landlord who wasn't taking care of the building. He said prior to the collapse, he'd completed nearlyall the repairs the city ordered him to perform, and had more planned for the summer.

Peek inside the partially collapsed Magee House

6 years ago

Duration 0:48

Building owner Ovidio Sbrissa says the stone structure of the Magee House was meant to last longer than it has.

Owner rejects report

Sbrissa rejects theassessment of the engineer hired by the city.

"It wasn't proper analysis and it's very flimsy, but as a result of his conclusions, it painted me in a very bad light," he said.

Sbrissa has hired Martin Topley of Durham Engineering to delve into the cause of the collapse.

Topleyhas concluded that in addition to "constructional mistakes" made in 1870 when Magee House was built, seismic shifting cause either by natural or man-made forces caused the collapse.

"If you ask me as a professional, it's vibration that probably did it,"Topleysaid Thursday."There had to be something move."

He expects to hand his reportto Sbrissa next week.

Sbrissa has until Aug. 20 to either demolish what's left of the buildingor undertake a costly restoration.

He said Thursday that with the additional damage caused by a city excavator following the collapse, there's likely too little of the building left to make it worth saving.

Whatever he decides to do, the plan must be approved by the city's built heritage subcommittee.If he does nothing, the city can take over and force Sbrissa to cover the cost.