Residents, preservation advocates urge action to save Eagles building; board seeks engineer report

The Demolition Board of Appeals on May 15, 2025 discussed the future of the Eagles building at 573–577 Broadway after public speakers and council members urged preservation rather than demolition.

The building’s condition and the owner’s lack of cooperation prompted the board to request a current structural engineer’s report and to direct staff to try to obtain access for inspection, including pursuing a search warrant if the owner refuses. "We do have the numbers," said Dennis Flores, summarizing fundraising and grant estimates for a rehabilitation effort, and urging the board to act to save the building. "We had funding. We had historic tax credits for this building."

Why it matters: the Eagles building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and speakers framed it as a keystone of downtown revitalization. Multiple members of the public and at-large council members described the building as iconic and urged the city to explore redevelopment options rather than demolition.

Public comment and council members. Dennis Flores, who said he has worked on the Eagles project since 2019, said the project team assembled a business plan and grant estimates and that "we do have a business plan, and we have financial projections." Councilwoman Haley and Councilwoman Mary Spangowski both urged the city to pursue ways to preserve the building if feasible. "It would be nice to be able to save that building," Councilwoman Haley said. Spangowski added that the building could be pivotal for downtown revival and criticized the owner’s pattern of neglect in other properties.

Building department and staff comments. Building staff said the property has significant interior and exterior damage, including water damage and roof and stage deterioration that would likely require substantial investment. Building official Dave Fasione told the board the department previously inspected the property and that the building needed "a lot of TLC" to repair both exterior and interior damage. Board members noted the building was struck by lightning in 2024, and staff said they had flown a drone over the roof after the event to evaluate potential structural shifting.

Board direction and next steps. The board did not vote to demolish or to approve a stay at the meeting. Instead, members asked staff to seek an engineering report and to attempt to obtain access to the building; Chief Fasione said he would ask the owner, Gary Davis, for permission to enter, and the board discussed seeking a search warrant if permission is refused. The police department also raised a separate concern about security cameras located inside the building and asked whether those cameras should remain in service to support downtown surveillance.

Funding context and feasibility. Speakers gave differing cost estimates and fundraising figures: Dennis Flores said the project team had identified nearly $3 million in grant funding and intended to raise additional private funds; another speaker estimated a total rehabilitation cost of $5–6 million. Board members said they needed current, professional engineering assessments and clearer financial commitments before they could recommend delaying formal demolition steps.

The board asked staff to report back with the requested structural assessment and the results of attempts to secure access. The board did not take formal action to remove the property from the demolition list at the May 15 meeting.