Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Downtown Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Middletown staff warns of collapsing parapets and failing roofs at several downtown city-owned buildings; council asks for demolition and repair cost estimates
Summary
City building officials and the fire marshal presented extensive photos of deterioration at the First National Bank building, the Manchester Inn, Knights of Columbus Hall and the Sunshine Building. Council asked staff for ballpark costs to remove parapet walls or demolish structures and proposed an August work session to decide next steps.
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — City building officials and the fire marshal told council Tuesday that multiple city‑owned downtown structures are deteriorating to the point they pose a public-safety hazard, and council directed staff to obtain cost estimates for demolition and repairs.
Chief Building Official Larry Tuttle said inspections found severe parapet and roof deterioration at the First National Bank building at 2 North Main Street and estimated prior roof and parapet repairs at roughly $450,000. "If in the event that it deteriorates to the point that we feel that the roofs or the parapet wall is unstable, we're gonna be forced to have to close some streets down," Tuttle said.
Captain Frank Baughman, one of the city's fire marshals, described the Manchester Inn as extensively damaged inside and out, with broken windows, missing stair railings, standing water, mold, roof decking failures and falling terracotta roofing tiles. "This is the stuff that when we have to go into a building to look for somebody or deal with a fire... this is the stuff that falls and kills firefighters, across the country," Baughman said.
Council members pressed staff for options. Councilman Horn urged faster action and asked for ballpark figures to remove the First National Bank parapet or to demolish the building, noting the downtown master plan and funding tradeoffs. Horn said the council needs to decide "before we leave that day what we're doing with these buildings." Several council members warned that continued deterioration invites trespass, fires and injury.
Council direction and staff response: The city has already placed a temporary fence around the Sunshine Building and the Manchester Inn to protect pedestrians and deter entry. Staff said they will solicit prices and provide ballpark estimates for (a) partial removal of parapet walls, (b) full demolition of the First National Bank building, and (c) demolition options for the Manchester Inn and the adjacent Sunshine Building. City Manager Ashley Combs said community and economic development is assembling a committee to analyze downtown reuse and will report back shortly.
Why it matters: The downtown structures are city property and sit adjacent to occupied streets and other historic properties. Extended delay in remediation or demolition could expose the city to liability if parts of a façade fall onto sidewalks or roadways or if fires require first responders to enter unstable structures.
Next steps: Staff will return with cost estimates; council members suggested allowing two months for that work and holding a dedicated work session in August to make final decisions.
Contact: Larry Tuttle, Chief Building Official; Captain Frank Baughman, Fire Marshal; Ashley Combs, City Manager.
