Westminster staff warns owner of stalled Midland Building; council told to prepare for possible abatement
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Summary
City staff reported that the owner of 7255 Irving Street (the Midland Building) has failed to provide needed construction submittals and missed meetings; staff set a July 9 follow-up and said it will return July 14 with options, including a possible demolition/abatement appropriation estimated at $150,000–$300,000.
Westminster Deputy City Manager Larry Doerr told the City Council on June 23 that the owner of 7255 Irving Street — known as the Midland Building — has not provided required building-plan updates or consistently engaged with city staff, and that the city is preparing next steps that could include abatement or demolition.
Doerr said staff met with the owner and members of the development team in early June but found “a disconnect as to what was necessary to really move the project forward.” He said only one member of the development team attended a June 18 follow-up meeting, despite a nine-person city staff team being present. Doerr said the owner, identified in staff briefings as John Andrianakis, lives in Parker and has expressed remorse, but staff has seen limited activation at the site.
The report follows a 2022 rezoning and official development plan approved by council and subsequent building permit submittals that staff found deficient: missing plumbing, mechanical, utilities, occupancy submittals, no fire suppression submittal, no building elevations and no complete site plan. Doerr said staff had not received responses after March until council prompted renewed outreach.
Doerr told council that staff has scheduled a July 9 meeting with the owner and the full project team and asked council to expect an update on July 14. He said, should the development team “not be able to respond in good faith,” council should consider appropriations in case abatement is necessary and the chief building official finds the structure a public nuisance or danger to public health, safety, and welfare. Doerr provided a conservative, rough estimate for demolition and environmental abatement costs of $150,000 to $300,000 and said the actual cost depends on environmental findings.
Councilors who spoke urged firm next steps. Councilor DeMott said the property has been “a nuisance” for years and called the July 9 meeting a final chance. Councilor Camarillo and others pressed staff to pursue alternatives if demolition is required, including acquisition options so the city could control reuse rather than leaving the parcel in the owner’s hands. Councilor Hutt asked staff to consider deconstruction — salvaging and recycling materials — if costs are comparable to reduce landfill impact. Multiple councilors asked staff to return to council on July 14 regardless of the July 9 outcome so elected officials hear updates in public.
Doerr said staff will continue to enforce Westminster code provisions already used by code enforcement, and that past abatements have been recovered from owners in other cases; but he cautioned that past nonperformance by the development team raises uncertainty about future timetables.
Doerr closed by telling council the staff team will return on July 14 with updated information and possible funding requests if abatement becomes necessary.
A July 9 project-team meeting and the July 14 council update were scheduled; no formal council vote occurred on June 23.
