Hamilton police closed off a stretch of Barton Street East Thursday morning due to concerns over the structural integrity of a two-storey building.
Barton was shut down in both directions between Catherine and Mary streets for a short period as city staff and the fire department investigated the structure’s façade and interior.
The city had received reports that bricks and stones were falling onto the sidewalk and roadway.
Police said the issues were not connected with any incident and that no one was injured.
The city’s chief building official says the damage appears to be limited to the second storey’s front façade and parapet, but it’s still not clear why the building began to fall apart.
Several tenants who reside in the building were urged to use a back entrance.
The property owner has been ordered to clean up the area and provide the city with an engineer’s report regarding the structural stability of the building.
Two lanes on Barton were reopened to traffic a short time later.
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