Police closed off the road at Yonge Street and Gould Street after part of the brick facing of a building collapsed onto the sidewalk and street below. (Submitted by Tammy James)

The dramatic collapse of the brick facade on a downtown Toronto building on Friday has left the building unsafe and will likely keep Gould Street closed at least over the weekend, according to a city official.

Toronto deputy chief building official Jim Laughlin said he issued an emergency order on Saturday requiring the owners of the building to hire professional engineers to assess its structural stability in the aftermath of the incident.

A section of Yonge Street has remained closed since Friday after bricks above a sushi restaurant at the corner of Yonge and Gould detached from the rest of the wall.

The busy street and the surrounding area were jammed with lunchtime patrons at about 12:30 p.m. when the bricks came crashing down and sent dust into the restaurant and the surrounding area. But police said there appeared to be no major injuries.

Laughlin said the building remains unsafe, however, as the exterior wall was a supporting wall for the floor joists. In particular, he said the third floor of the building needs attention.

"We've now got a portion of [the wall] that's been dislodged and the main objective now would be to shore that floor," he said. "The third storey floor is what is concerning us the most."

A section of Gould Street will likely be closed throughout the weekend and into the week as engineers attempt to assess the structure to make sure it is safe for passersby, said Laughlin.

He could not comment, however, on when the busy section of Yonge Street might reopen to traffic. Toronto police closed a section between Dundas Street and Elm Street indefinitely.