Superior Court orders ‘Big Blue Monster’ home in Brampton demolished

Ontario’s Superior Court has ordered a 6,600-square-foot Brampton monster home at the centre of a four-year dispute to be demolished.

Two city councillors confirmed the half-finished house at 443 Centre St. N. — which has become known as the “Big Blue Monster” — must be taken down by the end of November.

“Yesterday, the Superior Court issued a demolition order for the house,” councillors Grant Gibson and Elaine Moore said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

“The court has ordered that the unfinished house must be demolished in its entirety within 120 days, which means that it will be removed before the end of November.”

The councillors said the city has designated the area a “mature neighbourhood,” which means any new development must maintain and preserve its character.

“When you look at this house … what do you think?” Moore asked in an interview with CityNews. “I think one of these things is not like the others. It doesn’t fit in the neighbourhood. It’s not the right scale and size for this neighbourhood.”

In 2012, Ahmed Elbasiouni got a permit from the City of Brampton to redevelop his property.

Neighbours were expecting a small addition. Instead, Elbasiouni tore down the bungalow and started building a massive structure in its place.

It wasn’t until 2013, when construction was well underway, that the city realized its mistake and revoked the permit.

The city and the courts had on several occasions ordered Elbasiouni to either remove the structure, bring it into compliance with zoning bylaws or get approval from the committee of adjustments, which turned him down in January.

“This [court] order also guarantees that whatever is built on this property in the future will be something that adds value to this community,” Gibson and Moore said.

Elbasiouni, meanwhile, is arguing the height complies with bylaws and said any new design won’t be significantly different.

“The design which is going to take place is not going to make any difference in the height because the height here is within the [allowed] height, I’m 10.6 [metres], within the 10.6 allowed,” he said.

“I may shave the front wall, I may shave the back wall, you know? I have to reorganize everything but it is going to be the same.”

He has launched a $20-million lawsuit against the municipality for damages and is also suing two current councillors.and one former councillor for $7 million.

“How much money has it cost the city to deal with this in court?” said neighbour Gerald Payne. “My tax dollars are being used to fight this guy to get rid of the property. I’m surprised that thing hasn’t been burned down yet.”