‘Eyesore’ property boarded up for years could get demolition order in downtown Brampton

A former Brampton City Councillor with some 30 years of experience is pushing the city to tear down a problem property downtown that’s had nearly 200 service calls to police, fire and EMS so far this year.

The duplex known as the Mcllroy House located at 164 and 166 Main Street North known as the Mcllroy House has been boarded up for around a decade and is an “eyesore” in Brampton’s downtown, said former Coun. Gale Miles while addressing City Council on Wednesday.

Miles says the property’s poor condition has attracted “vulnerable persons” to the area, leading to safety concerns and “putting them and adjacent properties at risk.”

There have been 187 calls for service to Peel Regional Police, Brampton Fire and Emergency Services and Peel Regional Paramedic Services so far in 2024, and Miles is urging current councillors and the city to take steps to have the property finally torn down to make way for new developments.

“That’s really what it’s all about – is making sure that at the end of the day, that the decisions that we make are moving us in the right forward (towards) a revitalized downtown,” Miles said.

Coun. Rowena Santos has said the property is “in significant disrepair.”

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It was once protected under the city’s heritage property register but was removed last year following the delisting of a handful of heritage properties on Main St., in order to make way for a development which would see two condo towers with a total of 1,124 new units.

With the heritage designation removed, Miles said the city has tools it can use to kick-start a teardown. The city could issue a demolition order, which if refused, would lead to the property torn down “at the owner’s expense.”

Santos has directed staff to report back with options “on how we can effectively demolish the property” later this month.

Revitalizing downtown Brampton is a goal Miles said she was never able to realize while on Brampton City Council, something that the current council is still working on.

The city is spending millions to bring new traffic lights, power lines and upgraded roads to downtown and is looking to tear down the Heritage Theatre Block to build a “landmark development” and revitalization project.

Mayor Patrick Brown said the city will explore what “municipal tools” it has to “expedite” the demolition.

The property is on “the gateway to downtown” according to the city plan and approximately 200 metres from the planned Hurontario LRT transit hub.

Miles was a Brampton City Councillor for 30 years and was first elected in 1988.