Hammond City’s Board of Public Works and Safety on May 29 heard that the city may take emergency action to secure and/or remove hazardous exterior panels at 5217 Homan Avenue and set a status update for next Thursday.

City staff said the building, currently subject to an active demolition order, has large exterior panels that came loose in recent high winds and that an environmental report found extensive mold that may limit repair options. Mr. Kearney, the enforcement authority under the Unsafe Building Act, told the board he is “considering taking emergency action under section a of 36-7-9-9” and is obtaining contractor quotes to secure or remove unsecured materials.

Why it matters: staff said the loose panels pose an immediate public-safety hazard downtown and that the property had been the subject of prior emergency repairs. The board said it would move forward with emergency work if Kearney deems it necessary, and asked the owner to provide contact information and remediation plans so the city and owner can coordinate.

Marius Bolchis, who identified himself as the LLC manager for Discovery Investments and Acquisitions and the building owner, told the board that the company has been seeking a buyer and had considered office rather than residential redevelopment because of limited on-site parking. Bolchis said crews had secured several loose panels after the recent storm and that the owners were seeking contractor quotes to address remaining hazards. “Our immediate concern is the panels that are flying off the building,” Bolchis said. He gave the board the owner contact and the address to accept notices.

City staff and redevelopment personnel said the building is already under an active demolition order and that they are preparing to bid demolition work if remediation is not feasible. A redevelopment staff member told the owner the environmental report “is extremely concerning” and that the mold conditions may be close to “unable to be repaired.” Staff offered to provide the owner a copy of that environmental report.

Board members emphasized that Kearney has statutory authority to act immediately under Indiana Code 36-7-9-9 when conditions create a public hazard. The board approved—by voice vote—to set a status hearing for next Thursday to receive an update on any emergency work, owner communications, and contractors’ quotes. Staff said if Kearney concludes panels must be removed before that date he has authority to order the work sooner.

The board and owner also discussed prior temporary work: staff referenced earlier remedial efforts after panels were blown off in 2015 and panel securing done by HESE Construction in 2017. The owner said he had patched the roof to reduce further water damage and is pursuing potential buyers and contractors to address exterior and interior conditions.

The board did not adopt a further directive beyond the status-setting motion and the record that emergency authority existed under IC 36-7-9-9. The board asked the owner to provide timely contact information and to coordinate with redevelopment staff to determine whether remediation is feasible and to allow staff to proceed if remediation is not completed quickly.

Members and staff said they would continue to monitor the property and report progress at the next meeting.