"This order was issued after numerous, serious Alberta fire and building code violations were revealed, yet were unaddressed by the building owners," said fire chief Ernie Polsom.
The Bellavera case, which may put 150 residents out of the 85-unit complex for an extended period, is likely causing concerns for some condo buyers in the greater Edmonton market.
That's because Bellavera is a new building. An occupancy permit was only granted for it back in February 2011.
Inspections leading up to the order found the construction site that included the building abandoned, and that there was no person directly responsible for maintenance of everything from alarm systems to the emergency planning process.
The project's deficiencies include a condemned fire stairwell and faulty wiring for emergency alarm systems.
Since the order was issued a court order has followed, putting the project into receivership and allowing the receiver to borrow up to $1 million to deal with the crisis. Many of the units in the building had already been vacated by renters as of early March.
Orders requiring evacuations of Alberta condo complexes are considered rare in the province, though they've occurred in Leduc and Fort McMurray in the last year.
from Western Investor April 2012
