Collapse of construction pit next to Congee Noodle House in Vancouver
There has been a partial collapse of the construction pit retaining wall that borders the Congee Noodle House restaurant building, located at 141 East Broadway in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.
A photo taken by Rachel Atherton and shared with Daily Hive shows the building rear’s ground-level parking lot, facing East 8th Avenue, progressively caving into the construction pit next door.
Sinkhole forming next to Congee Noodle House’s building in Vancouver on January 31, 2020. (Rachel Atherton / submitted)
A video submitted by another Daily Hive reader shows the construction area in daylight Saturday morning.
The adjacent property at 138 East 8th Avenue is currently under construction for a new infill six-storey, 18-unit residential building by Green Oak Development.
According to the city, there were no injuries and damaged vehicles, and the surrounding buildings are not at risk of collapse, but the immediate area has been closed as a precaution. Earlier in the evening, Daily Hive phoned bordering businesses; some of the businesses next to the construction site have been able to remain open, and Congee Noodle House was the only business that did not pick up our calls.
Such incidents of construction pit retaining walls caving in and severely affecting adjacent properties are exceptionally rare.
“The City’s Engineering Services Department was notified late this afternoon of an issue regarding excavation at a private development site,” reads an email from the municipal government to Daily Hive.
“The side of the excavation wall caved in which compromised the adjacent surface parking lot, as well as the storm connection on site. There were no injuries or damage to vehicles. A geotechnical assessment has confirmed that there is no risk to the surrounding buildings. The City has secured the site and closed the south side of the sidewalk as a precaution.”
The next steps towards stabilizing and restoring the property will be determined tomorrow between the developer’s geotechnical engineer and staff from the city’s Development and Business Licensing department.
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