Three London, Ont. buildings face city hall’s wrecking ball. Here’s why

There are three derelict and vacant buildings in city hall’s crosshairs for demolition. CTV’s Daryl Newcombe explains where they are located.

City hall has run out of patience with the owners of three vacant and decaying buildings that have become magnets for trespassing and vandalism.

Each year, city staff seek permission from city council to take all necessary actions to bring shortlisted properties into compliance with the Property Standards By-law, including the potential demolition of the buildings and clearing the land.

The threat of demolition is a last resort to have unresponsive property owners address ongoing violations.

A report to the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee reads, “Staff have made repeated attempts to get the property owners to take responsibility for maintaining their buildings with limited to no success. The owners have no intention of adapting or reusing the existing buildings.”

Three buildings are facing potential property standards related demolition:

• 687 Dundas St.
• 76 Commissioners Rd. E.
• 120 Gideon Rd.

687 Dundas St.

The former bank building at the corner of Dundas and Lyle has become a graffiti-covered eyesore in the Old East Village.

In January 2024, a multi-agency team made up of London police, London fire prevention, municipal law enforcement, and coordinated informed response (CIR) designated the building as a “property of interest” due to its prolonged vacancy and “risks it presents to both immediate neighbours and the broader community.”

“Either fix it up or bring it down,” said OEV BIA Executive Director Kevin Morrison. “Our hope is it comes down because I think it’s too far gone to be fixed up.”

Since 2016, approximately 24 incidents have been recorded by municipal by-law compliance.

“There’ve been break-ins, there have been fires, the building’s not maintained,” explained Morrison. “Those that are unhoused are using the inside. And when they’re not inside, they’re outside underneath the overhangs.”

76 Commissioners Rd. E.

The sprawling estate-style home was initially built with 5,000 sq. ft of living space on a 1.65-acre double lot, making it one of the more substantial residential properties in the area of Commissioners and Wharncliffe.

However, in recent years the house has been ravaged by fire, break-ins, and neglect.

The staff report reads, “In the absence of regular oversight by the property owner, [unauthorized] individuals have been found to occupy both the main dwelling and the accessory building, using them as shelter and as sites for unlawful activities such as drug use, open fires and the storage/handling of stolen property.”

In November 2024, the building was added to the vacant building registry and has been found to have multiple contraventions of the Vacant Buildings By-law.

The owner is currently attempting to sell the property for redevelopment.

An online listing claims that a rezoning application has been submitted to city hall requesting permission for 42 stacked townhomes.

The listing price is $4.2 million.

120 Gideon Rd.

The rural house on a treed property has remained vacant since the inception of the London Fire Department’s vacant building initiative in 2012.

Initially, the property owner maintained the exterior grounds and building, keeping in regular communication with city staff and expressing their intention to eventually develop the land as part of their retirement plan.

In recent years, however, it has fallen into disrepair and become a target for break-ins.

Municipal law enforcement needed to retain contractors to cut grass and weeds on a regular basis, while the fire department frequently reports that the building’s doors have been breached.