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Board grants 30‑day continuance for 1605 Franklin demolition; owner urges preservation and reuse
Summary
After hearing progress reports from city staff and the property owner’s contractor, the board extended the demolition stay for 1605 Franklin Street for 30 days, asked the owner to start zoning/BZA steps during that window and directed the demolition contractor to move fencing back on weekends so traffic can flow.
The Michigan City Board of Public Works and Safety on March 2 granted a 30‑day continuance of the demolition order for 1605 Franklin Street and directed the applicant and contractor to begin required zoning steps and to adjust site fencing on weekends.
City superintendent David Alberts said the contractor hired by the property owner has been performing selective demolition through February and had "about 2 more weeks" of work remaining, and asked the board to consider additional time to allow the careful salvage and stabilization work to continue. "They have been working throughout the month of February to do selective demo… I spoke with their project manager this morning. He claimed that they have about 2 more weeks, of work to do," Alberts said.
Owner Warner Graff (who addressed the board) described an approach emphasizing masonry salvage, saying crews were "chiseling every brick out of this building" to preserve material for potential reuse and asserting the remaining lower walls were stable. He also challenged aspects of the city's earlier structural assessment process: "We had 0 internal inspections from the city before they put the demolition order on," Graff said, arguing that his contractor's work has addressed the main safety concerns.
Planning staff recommended a continuance, but the board attached conditions: members asked that the owner initiate any necessary Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) steps during the 30‑day period so alternatives and approvals could be evaluated, and the board separately approved a motion asking Green City Demolition (the contractor) to push fencing back on weekends to avoid blocking the southbound lane of Franklin Street during times when no work is being performed.
The continuance motion passed (the recorded roll call in the transcript shows a majority with one recorded no vote). Green City’s project manager, Chad Woolery, told the board that weather and safety constraints (lightning, high winds) can affect aerial work and that a two‑to‑three week forecast depends on weather.
Public commenters — both supportive and critical — urged the board either to facilitate the owner’s redevelopment plans or to act more aggressively to remove unsafe structures; council members and neighborhood residents spoke during the hearing. The board set a follow‑up report and scheduled the matter for re‑hearing within the 30‑day window.
