The future of the community centre in Albert Park-Radisson Heights is in doubt after some serious problems were discovered inside the building.

Nancy Kearney, president of the Albert Park-Radisson Heights Community Association, say the property has had water issues for years and they have now progressed to the point where the whole facility needed to be shut down.

“30 years ago, when this back part of the building was put on, there was never any weeping tile or anything put in. So, on the advice of the city engineering department [five years ago], we brought in a company that was to drill down the side of the building to look to see how far the moisture went down.”

Kearney says that test returned some troubling news.

“It was wet, wet, wet right down. He said there is an underground spring somewhere that is bringing water up plus the surface water and it’s coming up against the building and going down.”

She believed that the company would then follow up and install weeping tile, but that didn’t happen.

Once the flood of 2013 hit, Kearney says the situation got even worse.

“In 2013 when we had massive rain and floods, we had a massive roof leak. We brought in a company to fix it, but it has since rotted and mould has grown all along.”

A short time ago, a day care centre applied to rent the basement of the community hall and had an independent test conducted of the building.

That analysis uncovered three different kinds of mould spores, including one strain that has the potential to be very dangerous for people to inhale.

As a result, Kearney says the hall was shut down to the public two weeks ago and that she knows that it’s gotten to the point where they need to have a new building.

Ward 9 councillor Gian-carlo Carra agrees with the assessment and says that the city is in the process of coming up with a plan for the community hall.

“There have been a lot of discussions for the best possible future, not just for this old, decrepit, cinderblock building but for this big chunk of city-owned land in this beautiful place.”

He says that the Albert Park-Radisson Heights hall isn’t the only city-owned building that’s reached the end of its life either.

“They were designed around a program that would require constant inputs of money, constant inputs of volunteer slave labour and we’re realizing that to move forward, to achieve the objectives of our integrated facilities management program, to create the ‘Enough for All’ poverty reduction strategy to create multi-use hubs, we have to be a lot more thoughtful.”

He says that the city just needs to be smarter with how space is used.

“Is this the potential home for the International Ave. Arts and Culture Centre? Is this the potential home for the senior’s housing, affordable housing? Is there market-rate housing and commercial uses that can help so to create a business positive performance?”

Carra says that while the requirement to shut down the community hall is disappointing, it’s good that it happened to send a message that something needs to be done.

Kearney is frustrated with the situation too, but adds that the building has been the victim of years of neglect.

“When I was voted in as president, I do the best I can for the residents and I listen to the community.”

She has lived in the community since 1959 and her children have been a part of the community hall for all their lives.

“It’s served us well so when I had time I figured it was time to give back and this is where my heart is.”

A meeting is scheduled to take place on April 26, at 7:00 p.m. at Bishop Kidd School to discuss the future path ahead for the building.

The Albert Park-Radisson Heights hall is the second city-owned building to be shuttered in the past few weeks. Fairview Arena was closed in February because its roof collapsed.

(With files from Brenna Rose)