1616 Ouellette residents allowed to move back in after weeks in limbo

Residents of 1616 Ouellette Ave., a Windsor apartment complex that was shut down by the city for safety reasons, will be allowed to move back in today after weeks of displacement from their homes.

The City of Windsor has confirmed that orders issued preventing occupancy due to unsafe conditions have been lifted, giving tenants the green light to go home.

The four-storey building was evacuated on Nov. 22 due to a lack of heat and spotty electricity, and the building's owners were working to repair the systems.

Marla Coffin, president of property management company MARDA Management, says that work on the heating, fire safety and electrical systems has been completed.

But there's still months of work to be done at the older building, and the owners have big plans that include cosmetics, windows, roofing and more.

"We've at least brought the building to a state where it can be reasonably reoccupied and the city has agreed that we're in compliance," said Coffin, whose company has been brought in to manage the crisis at the property on behalf of the owners. 

Residents of the 120-unit building who did not have a place to go availed of a temporary shelter run by the Red Cross that was set up by the city.

The city also worked to secure alternative housing for the displaced tenants.

Out of 81 tenants, 50 to 55 intend to move back in, according to Coffin.

She said that residents are happy they can move back in but there's mixed emotions because of their ordeal.

"We started our day as a team here at MARDA Management this morning by talking about leading with our heart today because unfortunately the tenants have been through something that I wouldn't wish upon anyone," she said.

"So I think that everybody is a little bit you know emotional and excited to be able to get back home."

One of the building's owners, Arjun Malhotra, was on site Friday as work was being completed.

"Everyone's trying their absolute best to make it a substantially better place," Malhotra said. 

According to documents obtained by CBC News, the building was purchased in September 2022 for $9.2 million.

Malhortra was inspired to buy the 1920s building after he viewed it, calling it a beautiful place that had been "almost forgotten about."

He knew there would be a lot of repairs needed, but said he did not anticipate the crisis that unfolded.

"When we when we purchased the property, our boilers were working, our transformers were working, everything was up to par when when we received it, and then over the course of I think it was 10 to 12 days where everything started taking a turn for the worse, but bygones are bygones. We're past that now."