Tenants have begun to move their belongings in to a new 124-unit apartment building in Halifax while it is still under construction, prompting municipal officials to issue an order to comply for "several serious fire and life safety deficiencies." The building at 5858 Macara St., called The Elevation, is owned by Halifax developer BANC Group.
Construction workers in hard hats and reflective vests could be seen working on various parts of the building Wednesday, as tenants wearing no personal protective equipment carried in suitcases and boxes. A spokesperson for the municipality said staff recently determined the site wasn't ready for final inspections. Since those have not been conducted, and no occupancy permit has been issued for the building, it has not been deemed safe for people to live there.
The municipality received a complaint about the property on Sept. 21, and a building official went to investigate on Tuesday. "This is a serious situation," HRM spokesperson Brynn Budden wrote in an email Tuesday evening, adding that there were "several serious fire and life safety deficiencies, largely due to incomplete construction throughout the building.
" She said that resulted in an order to comply related to occupying the building without the proper permit, "which is in contravention of the Building Code Act." Construction workers use heavy machinery at 5858 Macara St. on Wednesday.
(Dan Jardine/CBC) Budden said officials would return Wednesday for a follow-up inspection to .
