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City officials are less optimistic than they were a couple weeks ago that the McCrory's building on 11th Avenue can be saved.
An inspection showed that a leaking roof has done significant damage.
The city has declared the building unsafe for habitation and has proposed taking it by eminent domain, so it can convey the property to a developer. This follows years of inaction and deterioration under current ownership.
During the inspection, Fire Chief Tim Hileman took three or four steps onto the third floor, then felt it sag so deeply that he "jumped back," he said during a City Council meeting Monday.
The building may not be safe to renovate now, given the hazardous conditions that a builder would encounter before getting "to the bones" of the structure that could be saved, Hileman said -- while conceding that his expertise is not in development.
"I guess with enough money the building could be salvaged," countered City Manager Ken Decker. "But the more it falls into rack and ruin, the more expensive (that) would be."
Renovation was already going to be expensive, given the need for accessibility upgrades, including an elevator, Decker said.
If it turns out the building as a whole can't be saved, maybe at least the facade could be preserved, suggested City Councilman Bruce Kelley, citing an example in Lancaster.
That would allow a developer to get funding help from preservation programs, Kelley said.
The building is one of the most dangerous downtown structures, according to Hileman.
But it's not in "imminent" risk of external collapse, he said.
It may, however, be at risk for internal collapse, because of the air handling equipment on the roof, which weighs between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds, and the roof's poor condition, Hileman said.
There is significant separation between the membrane that is intended to seal the roof and the roof structure, he said.
The interior structure is all wood, according to Hileman.
The joists are large -- 12 inches high -- but they've become waterlogged, he said.
"Spongy," Decker said.
The fire department padlocked the building some months ago, to ensure that no squatters would enter, because of the hazard.
The building is also a potential hazard for his department, according to Hileman.
"If that place ever caught fire, it's an absolute death trap," he said.
The exterior walls, however, are in "decent" condition, according to the chief.
The city plans to hire an engineering firm to evaluate the structure and intends to have an environmental assessment done.
In recent weeks, developers have shown an interest, Decker said.
A representative of the owner participated in the inspection visit, telling Decker "about some vague plan" for continuing to clean it up and possibly market it over the summer, Decker said.
Council members didn't seem to give much weight to that declared intention.
"What a shame," Kelley said about the situation in general.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.