Elyria City Council on July 7 authorized an emergency contract with B & B Wrecking and Excavating Inc. to demolish the three‑story house at 130 Cedar Street after city inspectors described the building as unsafe and contaminated with asbestos.

City Building Official Michael Farkas told the council the structure had “imploded inward” on multiple floors and that the south wall had “0 support,” making entry too dangerous for a standard asbestos abatement crew. “We do like to have this structure come down immediately, it is precarious. I cannot stress that enough,” Farkas said.

Safety‑Service Director Pajanowski and Law Director Derry said the emergency contract was necessary because normal abatement and staged demolition would expose workers to risk and add weeks. The city intends to fund the demolition from the general fund and pursue liens against the property and other holdings of the out‑of‑state owner to recover costs, Derry said.

Councilman Oswald asked whether neighboring homes would be affected; Pajanowski and Farkas said the contractor has heavy‑reach equipment and the contract includes responsibilities for protecting adjacent properties. The city selected B & B Wrecking because it has long‑reach booms and an established demolition record; Mayor Kevin A. Brubaker noted the company previously removed other downtown structures.

Councilman Armstrong urged speed for safety reasons. The council approved the emergency ordinance without a roll‑call tally recorded in the public remarks; the clerk stated the motion carried. The contract was said to permit the contractor to begin next week.

Background: the city executed an inspection warrant, found interior collapse and asbestos, and solicited bids treating the site as a “hot load” (contaminated) because abatement could not be performed safely inside the decayed structure.

The city indicated it will submit a certificate of judgment and pursue placement on the tax duplicate against the owner’s other properties as part of cost recovery; the law office said ownership is partly out‑of‑state and that not all adjacent parcels are owned by the same party.