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DDA members seek response from Voss Building owners as city attorney prepares memo on condemnation options
Summary
Board members told the DDA has repeatedly tried to reach the owners of the Voss Building with no response; the city attorney is drafting a memo outlining condemnation options, and the DDA reaffirmed it can recommend but not itself initiate condemnation.
Board members discussed ongoing efforts to engage the owners of the Voss Building after repeated nonresponse and said the city attorney is preparing a memo outlining legal options toward condemnation.
Why it matters: The Voss Building has been a recurring concern for the DDA. Board members said outreach efforts have not produced substantive engagement from the owners and that some members favor stronger steps to push the owners toward remediation or a negotiated solution.
Former treasurer Tony Perry described his attempts to engage the owners: “I met with them 3 times in person, at least 4 or 5 phone calls. There were always excuses,” and said he had provided the owners’ contact information to preservation advocates who are also attempting outreach.
Board members noted the DDA itself has no authority to condemn property; any condemnation action would require city council action after the city attorney completes its memo. Members characterized the potential condemnation step as a means to get the owners “to the table” rather than an immediate preference for seizure.
Ending: The board asked for the owner contact information to be shared with other members willing to try outreach and requested the city attorney’s memo be expedited so council can consider next steps if outreach fails.
