Saint John to repair 'dilapidated' north end home at property owner's expense

Saint John city hall is making plans to repair a "dilapidated" north end home, at the property owner’s expense.

It’s a mechanism now available under the municipality’s "unsightly repair" program, which came into effect last year.

The home at 80 Main St. is believed to be about 125 years old, and is owned by an individual who's listed to hold a Toronto address.

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CTV’s attempts to contact the listed property owner weren't successful.

The city’s own attempts to make contact were initially successful in 2023, and some repairs on the property were carried out by the individual. But not all.

“The conditions still outstanding include peeling and missing paint present on the building, and unsightly debris present on the property,” said Benn Purinton, the city's vacant building program manager.

The total cost for remaining repair work is estimated to be around $6,000.

Purinton said no update was provided from the property owner on when further repairs would be made, prompting the program’s recommendation for city hall to conduct its own cleanup.

If the property owner doesn’t pay the bill, it will be reimbursed by the provincial government.

Purinton said his understanding was the property’s owner at 80 Main St. eventually planned to retire at the home, with no firm timeline on when that would happen.

Ward councillor Barry Ogdon called the home “a ghost building,” adding that it had been the subject of many neighbourhood complaints in recent years.

“To see somebody purchase a building and then not even live here for years and years, and just watch it deteriorate, it’s not acceptable,” said Ogdon. “If someone is just purchasing things and not painting them, and letting them run down, then they’re hurting the whole community.”

Purinton said two additional Saint John properties have been identified as dilapidated under the city’s "unsightly repair" program this year, with those property owners complying with clean up orders.

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