“Pit of Doom” comes crashing down

Neighbours cheer as infill house demolished after 10 years

Neighbours gathered in the alley between 95A and 95 St. on the 115 block on Saturday, May 4 to see the back hoe tear into a “new” build. The saga of this bizarre up-down duplex building started over 10 years ago, and in just over four hours it was reduced to a pile of rubble. 

On each side of the three-storey development, people watched in trepidation as the house shook and swayed. The house to the south was mere metres away, but it was only hit with minor light debris. A section of wall actually hit the house to the north, causing some minor damage. In the end, everyone was just happy to see the house down.

Many of those watching the harrowing spectacle commented on the waste — brand new windows, doors, wiring, two tubs, and piles and piles of lumber.

Demolition of a three-storey infill house between two other tall houses. | Karen Mykietka

In the 10 years since developer Gaurav Singhmar of Singhmar Developments purchased the property at 11535 95A St, the neighbours have seen the original house demolished, the land excavated, neighbours’ fences removed or washed into the mud pit, the walk-out basement design become a front-yard swamp, and the partially built house get infested with pigeons.

The City of Edmonton received complaints about it for numerous issues over the years. In October 2018, RCP published a story on the problem property that got the attention of CBC and CTV News. Singhmar told neighbours and the media the project would be completed by September 2019.

Photos of the stalled construction and front yard swamp in 2018. | Rebecca Lippiatt and The house hours before demolition. | Karen Mykietka

To continue construction, the builder had to get another building permit as the first one expired after five years. The city granted a second permit along with strict conditions, including the need for a structural assessment. 

RCP published a follow-up story with numerous photos in June 2019, where Singhmar indicated that 80 per cent of the floor joists had been replaced. The duplex sat untouched since siding was installed sometime in 2019. 

When the second building permit was about to expire, the city ordered the developer to take the steps needed to complete the project or demolish it. The builder chose to demolish.

Neighbours gathered and watched when the saga of this problem property was finally coming to an end.

Donna Paliwoda celebrates the end of a 10-year saga with a glass of wine. | Katelyn McLellan

“We are so happy to finally have this eyesore gone,” says Donna Paliwoda, a neighbour who’s been complaining about the property for 10 years. “We can’t wait for something great to be built there for our neighbourhood. We want good neighbours, and we want to be good neighbours.”

Edmonton has seen its share of issues with infill structures for years. In 2016, the city established infill construction peace officers — the “Infill Police” — who have become responsible for enforcing public health and safety, building codes, permitting, traffic, and tree protection in mature neighbourhoods experiencing new construction. This gives citizens a place to voice their concerns and hold builders accountable. Over 500 tickets were issued in 2023. 

However, tickets might not be enough. In 2018, Darren Anderson, a peace officer working with the infill policing team stated, “A developer with a permit can basically do whatever they want. They can come by once a month and move a wheelbarrow or they can not come by at all.” The city doesn’t have the authority to force a builder to complete a construction project.

This isn’t very encouraging for mature communities constantly dealing with infill projects. As the neighbours on 95A St will likely face another infill construction project on that site soon, they hope and pray it will go better the second time around.