Kensington Manor, in the 300 block of 10 Street Northwest, has been evacuated after an engineer determined the building to be unsafe.
"This building has some structural issues and they were being investigated by a professional engineer hired by the owner and it had to do with the balconies," said Wayne Brown of the City of Calgary's Coordinated Safety Response Team. "Upon further investigation, there were more structural issues to the building."
"With that information they contacted the safety codes officer through me and we had him attend. After discussion, we felt it prudent to evacuate the building under the circumstances."
Brown refutes original reports indicating the building carried the risk of imminent collapse but says the structure is in bad shape.
Calgary Fire Department officials confirm the building's 57 units have been evacuated and roughly 125 people have been displaced as a precautionary measure. Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) workers are on hand to assist.
A section of 10 Street has been closed to traffic and sidewalks have been closed to the public.
An inspection of the building, which was constructed in 1969, is being conducted by a building inspector and a structural engineer. Brown says the shoring of the building will begin Friday. "It will take a significant effore to shore the structure."
The seven-storey building is situated on a popular pedestrian street within the Kensington Business Revitalization Zone and houses businesses, including the Running Room, on the ground floor.
An information centre has been opened inside the Hillhurst Communtiy School at 1418 7 Avenue Northwest for residents of the building.
