DETROIT – Close to collapsing is a two-story building leaning over a Detroit sidewalk, and the city is promising to take action.
Inspectors saw the building Wednesday (March 1) and decided to get it demolished right away.
It occurred at the corner of Linwood and Blaine streets, near West Grand Boulevard.
A Detroit firefighter alerted Local 4 to the building. From Drone 4 you could see it was leaning toward the street. From above, the roof was gone.
The Detroit Fire Department said they have a do not enter order to not go in the building if it catches fire as it is just too hazardous.
“It is horrible,” said Dave Bell. “This is a situation where the owner let the property go to waste for years, and we’re issuing him at least $3,000 worth of tickets today.”
Bell is the director of the City of Detroit’s Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department. He said the dangerous building located at 8732 Linwood Street and its owner had been under the city’s radar for months.
“He was issued over $6,000 in tickets over the last six months,” Bell said.
Wednesday (March 1) morning, a Detroit firefighter looked at the building that was constructed in 1920. He saw the front of it had become so unstable that it was buckling over the sidewalk and could collapse on the sidewalk, the street, or someone else.
“It is a very concerning situation,” Bell said. “We sent an inspector out, and the inspector definitely noted some serious problems at the location. He sent the report to me. I issued the emergency demolition order. It’s been sent to the demolition department.”
The firefighter alerted Local 4, and within a few hours, action was taken. The city will bring down the building before it comes down on its own, which will be costly.
“It costs money, and that bill will be sent to the owner,” Bell said.
The owner is an LLC out of Sterling Heights.