By Drew Clarke
Congee Noodle House on East Broadway near Main Street remains closed, after the restaurant was issued with a do not occupy order from the city, due to the collapse of a retaining wall at an adjacent construction site.
The retaining wall came down during heavy rainfall on Friday, Jan. 31, causing a section of the restaurant’s parking lot to cave in and slide into the neighbouring excavation pit. Storm water and gas connections to the building were compromised, but there were no casualties, besides a few aluminum pots that tumbled into the hole.
A resident of the neighbourhood captured the wall's collapse on video, which can be seen below:
WorkSafe BC has issued a stop work order for the construction site at 138 East Eighth Ave., which was currently being developed into a six-storey condo complex. According to Neal Wells, communications manager for the city, a geotechnical engineer made an assessment of the site over the weekend and determined there was no risk to the surrounding buildings.
The contractor has pumped out the excess water from the pit, and work to rebuild the retaining wall is due to begin on Tuesday morning. Drivers should anticipate potential traffic delays on East Eighth as crews clean up the site. A recorded message for the Congee Noodle House says that the restaurant is closed until further notice, due to a sinkhole. The exact cause of the retaining wall collapse is yet to be determined.
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