Developer David Perehudoff addresses Park Place owners during a recent meeting at Fairview Mountain Golf Club. Lyonel Doherty photo
Local housing developer David Perehudoff is not quitting until he gets Park Place owners back into their units.
That’s what he said last week at a special meeting with owners. More than 20 of them listened to Perehudoff explain what he was willing to do to get them back home after three years in limbo. (At this time, the developer is working with 13 owners who have shown an interest in moving back.)
Perehudoff said it would cost approximately $800,000 to remediate (fix) the repairs needed in the building. These include water, flooring, electrical, carpeting, paint, and drywall. Cracks in the slab must also be filled. He noted it would cost each owner a levy of $20,000 to pay for the remediation.
“I’m not saying it (the building) is 100 per cent safe, but I’m saying it’s safe to return to,” Perehudoff told the owners.
“You will have a bright, new cheery atmosphere . . . the units will be restored to their original condition,” he stated.
Perehudoff said the owners could be back in their homes by May of 2017.
Some owners are considering selling their units, which the developer said he would provide assistance with. Perehudoff stated he would arrange for an appraiser to determine what each unit is worth. His fee would be 20 per cent of each sale, he pointed out.
Perehudoff previously stated that he was also open to purchasing units in Park Place.
Strata council president Keryn Timmerman and office manager Linda Gergely took the Chronicle on a tour of the building last Wednesday. They pointed out many areas where drywall was missing and where water leaks had occurred. It is unknown if the electrical system is up to code.
Both council members acknowledged that Perehudoff is working to get the owners back in, but they don’t believe it will happen anytime soon, considering the amount of repair work that is required.
Gergely said one owner asked her when she could get back in to wash her cupboards. But it’s not that simple, Gergely stated.
She and Timmerman expressed concerns that Perehudoff’s offer to help keeps changing.
Timmerman said he wanted her to make a decision for all the owners to move back in. But she couldn’t do that, she said.
One owner at last week’s meeting said she couldn’t make an informed decision on what to do because she didn’t have all the facts.
But the strata council is planning a meeting in early January to “put everything on the table” to help owners make a decision.
Owner Thelma Mazzei attended Perehudoff’s meeting but said the acoustics were terrible and she could hardly hear a thing.
“It just made me mad,” she said.
Mazzei said she hasn’t decided what to do about Perehudoff’s offer, but is leaning towards selling her unit. “I do not want to move back,” the senior stated.
Mazzei said she isn’t happy about paying strata fees for the past three years for practically nothing.
In looking back, she believes it wasn’t necessary for residents to leave Park Place. She said residents were “told to leave” by then strata council president Stuart Syme.
“Nobody condemned the building,” Mazzei said.
She acknowledged there was an earthquake in 2011 but it wasn’t big enough to move the building.
Mazzei said having to move out of Park Place was very stressful, but she was lucky to find an apartment at a good price.
By Lyonel Doherty
