The final stage of demolition of the buildings on the site of the new McMaster student residence is expected to start next week after the university received permits from the City of Hamilton.

Buildings at the site, located on Main Street West between Dalewood and Forsyth, will begin to be torn down and removed in the coming weeks.

The City of Hamilton was able to provide demolition permits soon after the recent removal of underground utilities on the site.

McMaster began receiving permits from the City of Hamilton on October 12. A contracted professional demolition company is expected to start this work early next week. This work will include protecting the site boundaries, then the careful removal of materials from inside the homes, followed by complete demolition as soon as possible.

Demolishing the buildings is the best way to safeguard the site, and to prevent incidents like the fire and death of an unhoused person on the property two weeks ago.

McMaster is working closely with demolition partners to prioritize safety and ensure minimal disruptions to the neighbourhood. This includes careful consideration of noise, dust, construction traffic and the safety of pedestrians near the site.

The site will be secured during the demolition process and patrolled daily by McMaster Security Services.

McMaster will be communicating directly with those who live near the site and an updated construction project web page is also available.

The university expects that demolition will take approximately six to eight weeks.