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Mayor reports fires and insurance limits at Cox Powell building; city examines demolition and structural safety
Summary
Mayor William Judge updated council Oct. 6 about recent fires and ongoing renovation work at the Cox Powell/Herald building, noting insurance limits and demolition costs for previously burned properties. Council members raised safety concerns about building facades and asked staff to confirm inspection and insurance status.
Mayor William Judge used his report at the Oct. 6 meeting to update council on downtown property matters, specifically renovation work on the Cox Powell Herald building and recent fires at city‑owned properties.
The mayor said the city is continuing work with a restoration group on the Cox Powell Herald renovation project and that the project remains complex because of capital costs, interest rates and fire damage: “...that is the first thing I do is review and make sure that all the comments are changed and our concerns are answered,” he said of staff review of amended drafts and plans. The mayor noted the big fire remains under investigation and that restoration proponents still intend to move forward.
Council members and the mayor discussed insurance coverage and demolition costs for a separate adjacent building that burned and was later demolished. The mayor said insurance would not cover the building because it had been vacant for an extended period and that the city paid to demolish a burned structure; one committee record referenced a demolition cost of about $4,067 and a later board of control item cited a low bid amount of $16,350 for tank‑barn removal.
Councilors asked whether structural engineering or county inspection had been completed for at‑risk facades; the mayor said that county and city officials, including a county structural inspector (identified in committee remarks as Chris Randalls), the city RBO and the fire marshal had inspected the properties and that additional information would follow.
Discussion vs. decision: The mayor’s remarks were informational; council directed staff to confirm insurance, inspection and billing records and to provide documentation. No demolition contract was finalized in the committee meeting beyond the appropriation call noted in the finance committee report.
