Downtown councillor Bob Bratina is demanding that city officials enforce the city's property standards bylaw on the owners of the Lister Block. The move comes in the wake of reports that provincially-facilitated negotiations will recommend restoration of the historic structure rather than demolition.

Bratina issued a media release early Friday morning demanding that the heritage building “be immediately brought into conformity with our property standards by-law”. He has made a formal request to city staff to immediately inspect the building and report to council “and to immediately serve the owners with a demand to comply.”

The apparently deteriorating condition of the Lister has been an issue for more than 15 years. The current owners, the Labourer's International Union of North America, took control in 1999, and Bratina says the building has not been in compliance with the bylaw for many years.

Hamilton's property standards bylaw sets minimum standards for building maintenance and sets fines of up to $50,000 for a first offence if a building owner fails to comply. Section 6 on vacant buildings requires “effectively preventing entrance by unauthorized persons”, while section 8 says that building exteriors shall “be maintained to prevent the entry of vermin or birds.”

Bratina was responding to media reports that “the building is sound and can be restored to a useful purpose.” He notes that other parts of the bylaw require prevention of leaking roofs, removal of graffiti and repair of broken windows.

The city's property standards bylaw can be examined at
http://www.myhamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7038FE88-BA3A-498E
-A74E-B57A53F36855/0/03117PropertyStandards.pdf.