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Birmingham commission orders demolition of dilapidated building at 611 Elm
Summary
After a contested public hearing and conflicting structural reports, the Birmingham City Commission voted to declare 611 Elm Street (also referenced as 635 Elm) a dangerous structure and ordered the owner to demolish it within 30 days or the city will do so and place a lien for costs.
The Birmingham City Commission voted Tuesday to declare the building at 611 Elm Street (also referenced in staff materials as 635 Elm Street) a dangerous structure and ordered its demolition after concluding the property posed a threat to public safety.
Building Official Jeff Silke told the commission the building has been the subject of repeated notices since February 2024 and presented interior and exterior photographs showing collapsing ceiling tiles, mold and roof failure. "This building needs to come down," Silke told commissioners, citing the city's property-maintenance code and multiple failed attempts to secure remediation or demolition by the owner.
The property owner, Ralph Farranzo, and his attorney, Alan Applebaum, presented two structural-engineer reports and maintained the building could be repaired. "The foundation and the exterior walls are all in good condition and can support all imposed loads," Applebaum read from a Lopez Engineering memo; Farranzo said he had contractors lined up and asked for more time to gut and remediate the interior.
City Attorney Mary Kucherek and building staff said the owner had been given multiple formal notices (dated 02/28/2024, 05/20/2024 and a final notice in July 2025) and that the structure met the code definition of a dangerous, uninhabitable building. Kucherek cited Birmingham ordinances adopting the International Property Maintenance Code, section 115.15, as the authority for action.
After commissioners questioned the owner about what steps had been taken since the notices were issued, a motion was made to adopt a resolution declaring the property unfit for human habitation, directing the owner to demolish the structure within 30 days or for the city manager to complete demolition and place a lien on the property for costs. The motion passed on a roll-call vote; the clerk recorded unanimous affirmative votes from the commissioners present.
The resolution directs city staff to proceed with enforcement if the owner does not act within the 30-day window. The commission recorded that the action is taken pursuant to the city's property-maintenance code and as an exercise of its public-safety responsibilities.
Next steps: Staff will notify the owner of the timeline required by the resolution and, if necessary, begin procurement for demolition and grading and prepare the administrative lien documentation.
