1616 Ouellette Avenue goes into 'Crisis Management' following evacuation

Residents being evacuated at 1616 Ouellette Ave apartment building in Windsor, Ont. on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. (Sijia Liu/CTV News Windsor)

The president and CEO of Marda Management says her company is assessing the requirements of an aging apartment close to Windsor’s downtown.

“We are working with the owners — with the expertise from a crisis management prospective to help expedite repairs and address issues,” said Marla Coffin.

About 100 tenants were ordered by the city to evacuate from their units on Nov. 22 because there has not been any working heat this fall.

New owners, who took over the property earlier in the fall, provided space heaters for tenants to stay warm, only to reveal other issues like unstable electrical power.

“The building is beautiful…,” but Coffin added, “….the building has a lot of needs.”

Coffin said the owner retained her company to help address those needs.

She pointed out, “Marda Management has been operating properties in Windsor and Chatham-Kent for 12 years,” and believes her vendors can start to assess priorities.

The City of Windsor and the Canadian Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at the John Atkinson Memorial Community Centre, where 43 residents have registered to stay.

“Many went to family and friends for suitable accommodation,” said Donna Girard, the emergency management coordinator for the Red Cross.

Coffin is unsure of how long the tenants will be without their homes, as crews are doing their own assessment.

However, she told CTV News she might have a better idea by the end of the week.