Company responds after partial collapse of parkade in downtown
Posted Feb 27, 2025 10:01:32 AM.
Last Updated Mar 3, 2025 09:15:27 AM.
The company that owns the parking garage in downtown Ottawa that partially collapsed Wednesday morning has responded to the situation.
Indigo, an online parking company, operates the parkade at 265 Laurier Ave. W. that suffered a partial collapse on about 50 vehicles yesterday just before 5:00 a.m.
In a statement to CityNews, GWL Realty Advisors, the owner of the structure, said, “this is a concerning incident and we’re thankful there were no injuries. We’re working closely with the city, emergency crews and a local team of experts to address the situation, render the site safe, and allow for the removal of any vehicles.”
The situation started on Tuesday evening, when a 911 caller told fire crews they believed the structure needed “investigation” after seeing some damaged pillars.
The Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) structural collapse team was dispatched and found that five to six girders, the horizontal supports of the building, were bowing.
They said the top floor had a heavy snow load on it.
“While searching the structure for residents, it was confirmed the cement columns reinforcing the upper roof were cracked and broken,” firefighters reported.
Indigo says it will “be engaging with the relevant parties to investigate the cause of this incident.”
An Ottawa spokesperson told CityNews that it is the responsibility of the building’s owner to inspect the safety of the structure and keep up the repairs. The municipality only does further inspections if there are complaints about the building.
No further inspections by the city have been conducted since its construction in 1989.
Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to show that Indigo is the operator of the parking lot, not the owner, as previously stated.
