A restoration company cleaned up Tuesday after complaints were filed about the smell coming from a freezer of rotting meat in the parking lot of the former Locke St. Meats & Deli.

The freezer — housed in a shed outside — had been storing unsold meat after the butcher shop closed in late 2017, said Joe Accardi of investment management company Forge & Foster, which included the deli among its several projects.

"The meat was still good and it was still usable for another six months or so, so rather than just waste it ..." he said about why the meat was kept on-site.

Accardi said he was notified Tuesday morning about a smell coming from the freezer behind 205 Locke St. S.

When he arrived at the site, he said he found the power off and a liquid leaking from the freezer. There were no issues inside the building as it had already been cleaned out, he said.

"Luckily, it's just all contained in that spot so it's going to be a pretty straight forward job, I think," he said.

Accardi said crews expected to be able to finish the job by Wednesday at the latest.

After learning of the smell, Accardi said he was told by a neighbour that it had been an issue before Tuesday.

Ward 1 Coun. Aidan Johnson said he fielded an odour complaint Friday and passed it on to the city's bylaw department.

The city's public health department also received odour complaints and investigated. However, because the deli is closed and no longer recognized as a "food premises," they referred the complaints to bylaw as a property standards matter, said spokesperson Aisling Higgins.

Accardi said plans for the space include a vegan concept, so the freezer will no longer be needed.