Demolition board authorizes structural engineer for Broadway property and to bill owner; councilwoman sharply criticizes owner

The Demolition Board of Appeals voted to engage a structural engineer to assess two adjacent properties at 573 and 577 Broadway Avenue and to charge the engineer’s cost to the property owner if the owner does not provide the required report.

Building staff and the law director told the board they have repeatedly requested an engineer’s report from the owner and recommended the city contract an assessment and then place the incurred cost as a lien or tax assessment on the property. "If there is not an engineer's report provided, the city is gonna probably move forward in conducting the engineer's report and assessing that cost on the taxes," the law director said.

A councilwoman expressed strong condemnation of the owner (referred to in the meeting as Mr. Davis), accusing him of neglect and calling him a "slum landlord" who has endangered the Palace Theater and downtown foot traffic by failing to secure adjoining property fabric and vaults. Her remarks included: "He epitomizes what it is to be a slum landlord... He has been a scourge when it comes to landlords."

The board voted on a motion to enter a contract to assess the property and to assess all associated costs to the property owner; the motion was seconded and the chair announced "motion carries." Building staff said the engineer’s report and associated costs will be brought back to the board and placed on the property tax bill if necessary.

The action formalizes the city’s next step to resolve long‑standing safety and structural questions at that Broadway site; staff and the board directed the building department and law department to proceed with the assessment process.