Derelict building might get date with wrecking ball — finally

A longtime eyesore in east London has decayed to the point of requiring more drastic action by city hall.

Next week, the Community and Protective Services Committee will consider a request by city staff to demolish the vacant commercial building at 1154 Hamilton Rd. (at the corner of Gore Road) because it poses a safety concern to the neighbourhood.

“[It’s] a public safety danger in terms of the structure itself,” explained Coun. Hadleigh McAlister. “We have a lot of calls in terms of break-ins, illegal dumping, and most recently in October there was a fire in the building.”

The large commercial building was most recently the Roast Buffet Restaurant, but has also been a bingo hall and a grocery store in the past.

Its windows are smashed, and broken glass covers the ground outside the front door.

Piles of illegally dumped soil and several bags of garbage can be spotted along the fence line.

It’s boarded-up with plywood, but neighbour Mike Gahan said people still manage to get inside and onto the roof.

Vacant commercial building at 1154 Hamilton Rd. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

“Get rid of it!” he told CTV News. “Either get something else in there or [demolish it]. The building's been here forever. It's just causing issues.”

In September 2023, the city issued a property standards order about the condition of the building’s exterior.

However, a staff report states that the problems have not been addressed, “Staff have continually attempted to have the property owners take stewardship over this building for some time now.”

McAlister agrees with a recommendation by city staff that the building be demolished and the cost added to the property tax bill.

“We've reached the point where getting [the owners] to actually improve the property itself is just not working,” he admitted.

The outlook for the property appeared much brighter a year-and-a-half ago.

In April 2023, Lynphyl Homes successfully had the property rezoned to accommodate 34 stacked townhouse units—but now the phone number on the website of the Hamilton-based company’s is no longer in service.

“Obviously the market has cooled a little bit, so in this case I would like to see this structure come down,” McAlister added. “But we ultimately want the site to be redeveloped for the residential rezoning it was approved for.”

The Community and Protective Services Committee will consider authorizing demolition at a meeting Nov. 11.