The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FIRE DEPARTMENT INSPECTING VACANT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
List created by Council, gets started in 2017
At least a dozen vacant commercial buildings in Lorain have deteriorated so much, they should be demolished, according to the Lorain Fire Department.
In October, an ad hoc committee of downtown observers made a walking tour to look at conditions of some of the empty buildings.
Participants included Jim Long, president of the Lorain Growth Corp., who has called for action to ensure vacant buildings don’t become abandoned derelicts on the Broadway corridor.
Those observations prompted a round of public discussion about city enforcement efforts to ensure buildings are up to code.
In that process, Lorain fire Assistant Chief Christopher Radman emphasized firefighters do not single out particular buildings, property owners or parts of the city.
Since July, the department’s Fire Prevention Bureau, made up of Radman and Lt. Steve Bajcer, have commenced inspections around Lorain.
They have begun collecting data to create Lorain’s new Vacant Commercial Property Registry.
Lorain City Council approved the program to
"Most of them are structurally sound and in good shape."
— Lt. Steve Bajcer
identify and log vacant commercial buildings that could become fire hazards or makeshift shelters for people.
The firefighters also were to examine commercial structures that could detract from efforts to maintain and rehabilitate the surrounding neighborhoods or otherwise create a public safety hazard.
The inspection, registration and monitoring aims to keep the buildings weathertight, secure from trespassers and safe for police and firefighters, according to the city legislation.
The Broadway buildings may get more attention due to the desire to create a vibrant downtown Lorain.
“Most of them are structurally sound and in good shape,” Bajcer said about the buildings. “They’re structurally sound. They’re good, quality buildings.”
The Fire Department has seen property owners comply on Broadway and elsewhere in Lorain.
Bajcer used the example of 852 and 858 Broadway, owned by James M. Kresja.
Firefighters and a city building inspector visited the buildings Dec. 14 and since then, Kresja has contacted the fire department to discuss repair plans.
“Some have taken a little longer than others, but they’re complying,” Radman said about the Broadway owners.
The firefighters said they and their colleagues, like the other downtown observers, would like to see more businesses and jobs come to the city on Broadway and in other areas.
There are a number of buildings that appear to be fire hazards and that should be demolished, Radman said.
One example is the Westgate Plaza at Leavitt Road and West 21st Street, he said.
The building has multiple fire code violations and the fire department recommends razing it, Radman said.
It was unclear if owner Westbank LLC has been notified properly, he said.
The owner has asked the fire department to communicate to its lawyer, Radman said.
Lorain and other cities in the county have worked with the Lorain County Land Reutilization Corp. to demolish numerous vacant houses.
However, Lorain officials have said the vacant commercial properties are nuisance structures in the city, but there is no public grant money available to help Lorain knock down those properties.
Other buildings on the Fire Prevention Bureau’s recommended demo list are: • 1039 Bridge Drive • 1906 Henderson Drive • 702 Broadway. This building was damaged when its attached neighbor, 700 Broadway, caught fire. The building at 700 Broadway, known as the Thistle Building or Thistle Block, has been torn down, but it appears 702 Broadway is tied up in with insurance dealings due to the fire.
• 218-222-224 E. 28th St., a former church complex
• 2931-2933 Grove Ave. The former El Patio restaurant building, Ward 6 Councilman Angel Arroyo Jr. publicly has called for this building to be torn down.
• 3405 Pearl Ave., a former church that has been vacant for years.
• 550 W. 14th St., the former Polish Legion of American Veterans Pulski Post No. 38
• 701 W. 17th St., the former United Polish Club
• 401 W. 21st St., a former insurance and realty office
• 2507 W. Erie Ave., a former bank building
• 1122 F St. Emerson Network Power sold the building in 2014
Some property owners have not responded to the firefighters’ notices for inspections, but have torn down some buildings in Lorain, Radman said.
Demolitions have included the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church building at 3670 Broadway; the building at 4639 Oberlin Ave.; and the former gasoline station at 1006 W. Erie Ave., Radman said.