There has been talk around town for weeks about a problem at Park Place (337 McKinney Rd) west of Park Drive – a strata complex of 43 apartments.

To dispel those rumours the owners have made a point of answering questions to the media in a forthright manner.

The following written after an extensive interview today with spokesman for owners at Park Place – Stuart Syme.

Owners of Park Place became aware of some wall (dry wall) and floor cracking in 2012 and they launched an envelope inspection of the building to look into issues connected to surface water and decks. The initial study involved three things – a. how is surface water dealt with on the property b. gathering of information on the building itself and c. looking at the main floor (concrete) as part of the building envelope. Engineers were hired.

The experts hired recommended a forensic structure study based on the amount of floor space affected by cracking and the nature and movements vertical and horizontal on the concrete. Much of the floor cracking is evident in the entrance and dining room area at the western side of the building.

The studies have been quite expensive with no final determination yet to the cause. One thought was that a seismic event in 2011 may have caused the cracking. The building has been trouble free for over 25 years but maintenance costs began to spike in the last two years.

A problem with domestic water lines has been ruled out. Drilling west of the building (shown above) found no unusual moisture content and the soil mix under the building is dry and completed as recommended by engineers at the time of construction in 1987.  Water flow off the building/rainfall is controlled well.

Owners are committed to finding the cause. All expenses to date in the investigation will  be covered by the 43 unit owners. Remediation cannot take place until the cause is determined.

Park Place was built by June and Ernest Phillips and a company owned by the Carpenters Union which financed the project. The complex is valued at about 6 million dollars.

Stuart Syme says 51 percent of people in BC live within a strata and this is a bit of wake up call for all those in joint ownership. Many of the buildings in this area are built near the river and on old oxbow or marshy lands.

He says he hopes a definitive answer to a cause is forthcoming within a reasonable length of time.