The Michigan City Board of Public Works and Safety voted to grant a 45‑day extension on the demolition order for 1605 Franklin Street following a contested status hearing on Jan. 5, 2026. Staff recommended a shorter window than the owner requested, citing the structure’s continued deterioration and an August 2025 structural assessment that called for temporary bracing before interior demolition.

Wendy Vache, the city’s public works director, told the board the board had earlier affirmed a demolition order on Aug. 18, 2025, then stayed it while the owner was given 100 days to show compliance. Vache said the 100‑day window had lapsed and that, while the city could issue an interior demolition permit to remove soft debris, there was no permit or evidence of the temporary exterior bracing the Wright & Associates assessment identified as necessary to protect the public and the project’s long‑term success. "Bracing will be required for both public safety and overall success of the project," Vache read from the assessment and said the city could not support a 100‑day extension but could accommodate a 45‑day extension with conditions.

Owner Warner Graff argued he had been working in good faith, paid for engineering and asbestos surveys, and contracted Green City Demolition to perform the work. Graff said his contractors had inspected the building and recommended a top‑down approach that would remove the roof and soft debris first and install temporary bracing "as needed." He asked the board for the full 100 days to complete permits, design permanent bracing and continue interior work. "I want to save the facade," Graff said, adding that he would not spend further engineering money without assurance of time to complete the work.

Green City Demolition representatives described their method and safety plan. Chad Woolery, project manager, said the team planned to remove the roof and assess the facade as the interior work progressed, noting worker and public safety concerns and the potential need for a lane closure for dumpster placement. Dan Thomas, Green City’s president, said the firm believed the structure was salvageable and that permanent bracing fabrication could be completed within the requested timeframe if permits and approvals were in place.

After deliberation, the board approved a motion to grant a 45‑day extension to the owner with stated expectations about permits, contractors and temporary bracing. The roll call recorded partial votes in the hearing record: Jean Simmons voted in favor, Tamiko Smith and Peggy Moore opposed, and the chair cast a deciding vote in favor; other members’ votes were not recorded in the audible roll call excerpt. The board said it would schedule a follow‑up status hearing and consider a special meeting to review progress.

The board’s action leaves the owner a limited window to produce permitting documentation, secure any required temporary bracing or contractor sign‑offs, and proceed with the demolition/demolition‑cleanup work under the city’s requirements. If the conditions are not met, staff recommended the board proceed with demolition within 60 days.

The matter will return to the board for a status hearing at the conclusion of the 45‑day period; the board also discussed holding a special meeting in late February or reviewing the matter at its March 2 regular meeting.