Downtown Ottawa parkade closed after top floor collapses, 50 vehicles trapped

A downtown Ottawa parking garage remains closed after a section of the top level collapsed early Wednesday morning, sending piles of snow and concrete down three levels to the ground and damaging several vehicles.

Approximately 50 vehicles remain parked inside the Indigo lot that spans Laurier Avenue West and Slater Street, as engineers and construction crews investigate the integrity of the remaining structure.

Photos released by the Ottawa Fire Services show at least three storeys in the northeast corner of the structure have been damaged following the collapse of the top level, with snow and debris in a pile on the ground floor.

The photos show a snowbank in the northeast corner of the structure, where snow appears to have been stored following heavy snow earlier this month.

“This cause of collapse is still under investigation,” John Buck, Ottawa’s Chief Building Official, told CTV News Ottawa. “Certainly, it was observed there was a large amount of piled up snow on the top level of the parking structure.”

The Ottawa Fire Services says a 9-1-1 caller reported damage to a column in one of the pillars in the parking garage on Laurier Avenue, between Bank and O’Connor Streets, at approximately 4:55 p.m. Tuesday.

The Ottawa Police Service said crews responded to reports of a collision. An investigation found no collision took place, but the garage was discovered to be “compromised” and was “deemed unsafe.”

Ottawa fire spokesperson Nick Defazio told CTV News Ottawa the Technical Rescue Team confirmed five or six of the girders “were bowing and the structural integrity was compromised.”

“While searching the structure for residents, it was confirmed the cement columns reinforcing the upper roof were cracked and broken,” Defazio said.

The structure was evacuated and remained closed overnight while a City of Ottawa engineer and the property managers inspected the structure.

“Once on scene, the building engineers confirmed a potential collapse was imminent,” Defazio said.

At 4:47 a.m., the top level of the northwest corner of the structure collapsed.

Video shared by the Ottawa Fire Services shows a large snowbank on the section of the parking garage as it collapsed.

There are no reported injuries following the collapse.

The City of Ottawa is waiting for an engineering report to determine the next steps for the building. Buck says the garage “was of some age,” suggesting it was built in the 1980s.

“What happens sometimes, yes, perhaps age of structure was contributory – it’s too early to tell. It does seem that there was quite a pile of snow on top there," Buck said. “It’s a wetter snow just because the rain will get entrapped in that snow and that can cause excessive weights piled up, localized in certain areas placing undue stress on the supporting structural members.”

Ottawa received 70 centimetres of snow between Feb. 12 and Feb. 16. This week, Ottawa has seen mild temperatures, with highs of 5.8 C Monday and 4.6 C Tuesday, along with a few millimetres of rain.

Slater Street is closed between Bank and O’Connor streets to vehicles and pedestrians, and the sidewalk on the north side of Laurier Avenue between O’Connor and Bank is closed to pedestrians.

“Vehicles parked inside the parkade cannot be moved until further notice,” Ottawa police say.

Vehicle owners parked inside the structure are asked to email Indigo, the owner of the structure, at [e-mail] with the subject header of “265 Laurier Ave” for updates.

Buck says it’s unclear what will happen with the remaining vehicles in the structure while engineers assess the integrity of the building.

“Some of the vehicular ramps have been compromised,” Buck said.

CTV News Ottawa has reached out to Indigo for comment.

According to Parkopedia, there are 378 parking spots in the Indigo lot on Laurier Avenue.

Last June, city staff approved a plan to build two apartment towers on the site. The plan, submitted last May, called for two mixed-use towers, with a 26-storey structure on Laurier Avenue and a 25-storey tower fronting Slater Street. The plan would include 586 homes, 129 parking spaces and commercial spaces.

The city’s development applications search page listed the application status as “Inactive” on Wednesday.

The City of Ottawa is exploring options to address snowbanks at other parking lots.

“At this point in time, it’s certainly being contemplated in terms of a strategy moving forward with other parking garages,” Buck said.

“There’s been some exceptional snowfalls, as we’re still digging out so that’s something that’s being contemplated in terms of how best to notify the public of the risk of the build up of excessive snow, including on residential roofs.”