I have never pulled any punches or held back any opinions about real estate in this city, even if it means receiving hate-mail from residents of The Foundry Lofts or those living at 26 Noble Street…
And even though I own a condo at The West Side Lofts, I am going to keep my integrity in tact by telling you how I really feel about the project, complete with the following photos from yesterday’s PDI.
Welcome to my nightmare…
“Sochi.”
That’s what I kept thinking throughout the entire Pre Delivery Inspection.
Sochi – as in, Sochi, Russia.
Sochi, Russia – as in, the 2012 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The 2012 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia – as in, that is how long I have to hold this condo for to maximize my profit.
I had a bad feeling about this project, and but I had no idea how truly awful my unit would look the first time I stepped into it.
To be honest, I’m having trouble collecting my thoughts as this is now a major financial burden in my life, the weight of which has crushed me for the better part of today and has left me reeling.
So, I’m going to reserve my “opinions” for tomorrow’s post.
I’m going to write THREE blog posts on this subject, starting with photos today.
I’m afraid of what I might write if I did an opinion-piece today, so I’m going to try and cool off and tackle that tomorrow.
Then on Friday, I’ll post my video from today…..I think. I’d better watch it again and make sure it’s not too harsh, as I’m pretty sure I swore through the whole five-minutes and I might have said that I wanted to kill the developer…
“A Picture Paints A Thousand Words”
So what do you think about these:
Welcome to my tomb.
This is what you see when you first step inside the front door. CONCRETE EVERYWHERE! This hardly looks like the unit from the original sales centre!
So you like the “unfinished look,” do you?
Do you like your living room wall?
It looks a bit stained at the top there – some brown splotches.
Maybe that will clean out with some industrial solvents…
The worst part about the unit (and it’s hard to narrow it down…) is undoubtedly the obscene amount of exposed ducts, pipes, conduits, cords, and anything else the developer wanted to leave in place.
“Unfinished” and “Soft Loft” will conjure up images of duct work, but not pipes and conduits!
I’ve been in real estate for seven years and I have NEVER seen anything like this.
These are conduits running from the kitchen wall into the ceiling.
This development is an embarrassment to builders everywhere.
What the hell is this?
Second place in the “Most Offensive Characteristic” goes to this giant hole in the ceiling where the pipe juts out.
That is a two-inch pipe in an eight-inch hole.
I could have done better, drunk, and high on crack…
That is where the floor meets the wall.
Somebody get me some sandpaper!
This is what you get with a concrete floor.
They pour the concrete, and it turns out however it turns out.
Concrete walls, in all their beauty…
Excellent workmanship!
Crooked tiles (view the space left to right), and the threshold doesn’t even meet the track!
A view outside my window…
It was a long afternoon.
Exhausting, and frustrating belong belief.
Give me another day to cool off.
I don’t want to get sued by Urban Corp, and I don’t want to piss them off….too much.
But tomorrow, I’ll put my thoughts into words…instead of photos…
LC
at 8:21 am
Ok, I’ve worked for the developers for about 90% of my career since graduating from university almost 10 years ago and I must say that I see units in this state all the time DURING CONSTRUCTION!. Never, ever, ever, as a finished unit! WoW! I don’t know what to say.
David, what you have before you is a shell. This is an excellent time to review your Schedule B (or whatever they have called it) and contact your lawyer.
Marz
at 8:44 am
So um… do they expect you to paint the whole thing or something? Or will they be coming back to, you know, finish it off?
calico cate
at 8:56 am
Oh my! Those are the only words I can come up with.
Speechless would fit, as well. Oh my!
mike
at 9:21 am
I can tell you one thing about pipes going through concrete from looking at your pics.. i dont see any firestop. You cant have a pipe penetrating a concrete slab without it. Thats code. Unless of course you want fire and every offensive odour from your neighbour to transfer into your unit.
Craig
at 10:03 am
This doesn’t surprise me that this is Urban Corp’s workmanship. I knew someone in one of the King West Village townhouse units just down the road on Sudbury street who had her own PDI nightmare. The owners went into litigation against Urban Corp over a number of issues after their units were delivered to them. Doing a background check on the history of a developer is one of the best things to do when buying in pre-construction.
David Fleming
at 10:11 am
Where’s “BUK”?
He predicted this when I wrote about it last week!
Craig
at 11:34 am
Out of curiosity, was drywall for any of the walls/ceiling an option/upgrade? What about polished concrete flooring/hardwood?
Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of some concrete in a unit. I have a feature wall of concrete which looks great, imo. Being totally surrounded though, maybe not so much. I’d look at investing some $$ to finish some things yourself if there is no recourse through the builder.
Anonymous
at 12:12 pm
Wow… this is just ridiculous. It’s a classic example of why some people don’t buy pre-construction.
Kyle
at 12:31 pm
I actually thought the finishes were quite nice. Most parking garages that i’ve seen, don’t have windows, doors and a nice kitchen.
OK, sorry that probably isn’t as funny if you’re living it.
mike
at 12:41 pm
Seriously about the firestop, that is grounds for not occupying and withholding your interim occupancy fees. Your lawyer should advise you not to occupy an unsafe space that doesnt meet code requirements.
nice track light though
Dave
at 1:33 pm
The microwave looks ok.
Sam
at 1:35 pm
I bought a unit on the 10th…
For me the drywall was a free option, but since I bought it in November of last year, the option was no longer. Neither was the option to extend the interior (except bathroom) walls to 9 ft (from 7 ft).
This is polished concrete, or at least it’s meant to be.
David, thanks for sharing. Keep me in the loop!
BobbyV
at 1:46 pm
I looked at Fuzion/Connect last year and ran away fast ….. Let’s just say i wasn’t impressed with what i saw. Not sure how an expert like you got tangled into a mess like this. That’s is just horrible fit and finish, I would seriously flip out if i saw this. I’ll offer you $180k to take this mess off your hands.
buk
at 1:55 pm
Just as I expected. Urban Corp are thieves and should be held accountable. You should order them to redo the floors, they are in pretty bad shape. If you were planning on living there, i’d suggest you polish them but i get the feeling you want out of this unit ASAP. I bet there are serious soundproofing issues in the building. The concrete probably barely meets code.
Matt
at 2:13 pm
they should rename the building..”West Side Kabul”
David Fleming
at 2:30 pm
@ BobbyV
An “expert” like me first looked at the project in 2005.
Things were very different back then – as was the actual project we purchased into.
After the re-design in 2007, prices had increased so much that it only made sense to “re-purchase” in their “new” design for the same price I paid in 2005.
In between, I flipped two condos, and I passively waited for this disaster to be finished.
I paid $256,000 for this 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 720 square foot condo with parking and a locker.
I’ll make money – but a nightmare lays ahead…
Craig
at 2:40 pm
Did you atleast get an artwork when you purchased? 🙂
BobbyV
at 2:56 pm
maybe it’s supposed to be like this?. It’s call the raw gritty urban look. It’s supposedly the latest hot tread in home and design decorating.
Similar to brand new worn, faded looking jeans you can buy at Old Navy ….. Hipsters, artsy types are hard to understand and figure out.
XXX
at 3:19 pm
Disaster.
Good luck man. I hope you do a five-part series when all is said and done like you did with your investment at Rezen.
David Fleming
at 3:23 pm
@ Craig
Yes, I got the artwork.
I chose a piece with dogs playing hockey on a frozen pond.
I’m hoping that it will one day be as valuable as “Dogs Playing Poker” by C.M. Coolidge…
Lauren
at 5:07 pm
Oh I know this place! They filmed half of the X-Files series here, surely!? And hey look – your neighbours outside are drunk and high on crack, too! Welcome to the neighbourhood? {Winces, proffers stiff drink}.
dogbiskit
at 5:53 pm
don’t despair, it’s salvageable and you will make a profit. Some things will be taken care of via the deficiency list process and the rest you’ll have to put in some extra $$$ to improve it. The current state though is completely reprehensible. Shame, shame!!
LC
at 8:07 pm
@ Sam – That’s not polished concrete. I had my old concrete subfloor polished and it looks completely different. What they did here is simply bare concrete that (I’m hoping has a least) been sealed. That’s where the finishes schedule in the APS becomes critical.
David, you are looking at about $4/sf to polish that floor. Of course, if everyone in the building is looking to get work done, you can probably get a good deal in bulk pricing.
LC
at 8:12 pm
Oh, and as for the fire stopping, I highly doubt the building would get an occupancy permit if it wasn’t done. That said, I wouldn’t close on this property until you have some clearance letter from the inspectors or engineers regarding this.
Of course, I wouldn’t close on this property at all without going through that finishing schedule with a fine tooth comb.
dmose
at 10:07 pm
Thanks for posting this. Can you post more photos of the actual kitchen/bathroom finishes? I have a unit here taking possession in February and this has me concerned 🙂
mike
at 11:48 pm
@LC, I can tell you first hand from a performance audit I am involved in we have opened up walls and found missing firestopping. The building inspectors either ignored it or came too late to notice or were told it was rectified and the walls were sealed. My opinion is that inspectors can be bought, especially in a time like today when you see cranes all over the skyline. Ask David about how a standard condo corps water damage deductible used to start at 1,000 for new condos and now standard is 50,000 thanks to poor construction in vancouver and toronto.
meow
at 12:11 am
Oh dude, that place is seriously a nightmare.
shannon
at 1:31 am
David, this is shocking. Thank you so much for posting this. We also bought a unit in this building, and despite a later move in date, I’m already feeling defeated. This is terrible….
Several people commenting mentioned that some work does not look to be up to code? As someone who has no real experience in real estate prior to this, how would I know these things doing my PDI? Is it possible to take hire your own inspector to do the walk through with you? Has anyone had experience with this?
David, how are you going to move forward? I’m looking forward to (or dreading) the next two posts.
Maybe its time for Westside tenants to come together and start discussing our options at this point? If we can’t hold the building accountable, at least we can pool resources about contractors & possible fixes….There is a facebook group for anyone who hasn’t already joined.
IanC
at 5:02 am
Two things:
#1) People might have polished concrete floors in their contract – but that can be interpreted very loosely. Don’t expect the finish on the model suite, regardless of what you pay for an upgraded floor.
#2) When the amenities are ready for inspection? That could be another mess. There’s a lot of “new” condo fitness rooms in Toronto that have crooked power outlets and bathroom tiles, messed up drywall, faulty pools, and due for a big makeover.
Patience David… You’ll make some money but I know… there are easier ways (and much less stressful ways) to do it. It sucks. At least you can give some Clinton empathy to your clients “I feel your pain”…
LC
at 5:05 pm
@ Mike – oh I know inspectors can be bought, but considering the lack of finishing and that every conduit and piping is in plain view, then Urban Corp and the City and the mechanical engineers on record are looking at serious claims if there is indeed no firestopping. Not to mention the Bullentin 19 engineers. There is too much liability all around for something so obvious to not be corrected. It is for that reason that I’m perhaps giving too much credit to TPTB.
And Mike, for the record, I’ve been on performance audits too and know what developers can get away with. Considering this building has yet to register, this is an opportune time for a large group of purchasers to start whistleblowing loud and clear.
Mikey
at 9:06 am
Sochi isn’t until 2014.
2012 is London summer games.
If you had seen this video, you would know that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Bxh9L1WDg
David Fleming
at 10:59 am
@ Mikey
Wow, I don’t know how I screwed that up. 2010 + 4 = 2014. Right.
Excellent video, however. Youtube was invented strictly so people can make videos exactly like that one!!
JD
at 12:51 pm
Urban Corp is already selling “Edge.”
I’m sure they could care less about your PDI issues and the state of West Side now that you’ve moved in and they’ve got your money.
Wooba
at 2:37 pm
RE: the firestop. You’re looking from below. It could well be (and probably is) fire stopped on the floor above.
What I can’t believe is how the coreline (the grey pipes going to the electrical panel) got passed. That’s definitely an electrical code violation!
Toronto
at 9:11 am
Its fixable but the scary aspect these PDI inspections are getting worst and worst.Its some times better to buy from a builder that does well on the Tarion surveys,UrbanCorp normally is dead last on the list.
Dude
at 1:28 pm
Wow. My unit at QUAD looks like the Taj Mahal compared to this, and we sued Cresford.
Stephen Shub
at 12:48 pm
I suggest as many buyers as possible get together and insist on the City inspector (who is assigned to the project) meet with you on site in order to confirm whether occupancy permits will be issued and whether any other violations exist. Also you should collectively decide on a combined litigation approach related to possible misrepresentation by the builder who likely and possibly intentionally misled buyers with a more attractive appearance in a sales model versus what the builder ultimately provided. Does anyone have a set of pics of what the builder displayed in the sales model? Instead of hiring one lawyer to act for a group, it might be better and less costly for each buyer to personally undertake a Small Claims Court action (claim the maximum of $20,000 each PLUS punitive damages related to misrepresentation). The cost of filing each claim is only $75 and the builder might have more difficulty coping with a whole series of Small Claims Court claims than a situation regarding one collective claim where it is Builder’s “bigtime” lawyer versus your collectively retained “littletime” lawyer.
Zeh
at 11:03 am
The most horrible and disappointing experience of my life thus far. I hate this developer. They are a bunch or cheaters!
-fellow resident
Agent
at 9:40 pm
I couldn’t agree more. The workmanship is horrible their customer service .. Well they don’t even know what service means and they don’t care about their buyers. You leave a message and no one returns your calls. May be they ere phantom staff with voicemails that go unretrieved. Even worst they don’t pay they agents who brought them the buyers despite their agency agreement. OREA should revoke their privilege from selling.
mike adams
at 8:56 am
They did the same to me at North York’s Acclaim. HORRIBLE work and complete crooks.
Aris
at 1:21 am
Don’t ever buy an UrbanCorp pre build.
They are cheaply made and they start to fall apart within the first year.
I have tons of pictures of their disaster townhomes in Queen East.
Aris
at 11:44 am
Worst developer EVER.
You will lose tons of sleep and risk your health and in the end you will get your worst nightmare.
Cut your losses.
Buy from someone else.
MB73
at 10:05 am
I was just about to sign a deal with urbancorp. They talk a hell of a game. Thanks for saving me.
aris
at 12:58 pm
AVOID URBANCORP AT ALL COSTS!!!
Would you use a sh!tty contractor with a bad reputation to build your home?
Do your research on the net. These guys have a Homestars rating of 0.06…
Enough said!
Anthony
at 7:22 pm
Just wondering if any current tenants have any input on the quality of the building? Have you seen it improve?
Alex
at 10:40 am
OMG
I bought into their project @ Ravine on Lawrence. I put 75K down. The delivery is already postponed from May-2016 to Oct-2017. It’s 1.5 years of delay …
And now this page and comments….
Will my Semi-detach look like this as well?
why didn’t I check this site in 2014 before signing in 🙁
Adriano
at 7:52 am
I would have turned to the PDI inspector, and punched him or her in the face. Why even bring you there? I want to barf!!!! Poor workmanship happens all to often in an industry that pays for peace work.
Jackaon
at 11:25 pm
I dont understand arent they supposed to put drywall over concrete before tenant gets it