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Board adds 418 Broadway demolition item after presentation that building is 'beyond saving'
Summary
The board voted to add consideration of demolition for the Style Center at 418 Broadway to its agenda following presentations from Matthew Schnau and Dave Fasiano that the roof has collapsed, joists are saturated and renovation would cost about $2,000,000; discussion covered vacant-building registration, enforcement steps and how demolition costs are recovered.
The Lorain Design Review Board voted to add consideration of demolition for 418 Broadway, known locally as the Style Center Building, after hearing from a developer representative and a structural reviewer who described the building as unsafe and financially impractical to rehabilitate.
"The building is beyond saving at this point," said Matthew Schnau, PhD, who introduced himself as director during the presentation. Schnau said white-box renovation estimates were "about $2,000,000," and that efforts to bridge that funding gap with grants and discussions with the Lorain County Land Bank have not produced a viable rehabilitation plan.
The board then heard a structural assessment from Dave Fasiano, introduced during the meeting as "our CBL," who described extensive damage: "The back half of the roof is collapsed... some of the joists are compromised. They're saturated with water," he said, and added the condition creates a safety risk to the public and neighboring properties.
A motion described in the record as "to get a setback" related to 418 Broadway was made, seconded and carried by the majority of members present. Board members and staff discussed enforcement and the city's existing vacant-property registration program: letters have been sent to owners, registration deadlines were set, and noncompliance will be referred to court. Fasiano explained that demolition or cleanup costs can be assessed to the property and recovered through tax processes or sale proceeds over several years but that recovery is often slow and not guaranteed.
Board members emphasized limited city resources: officials said the city lacks funds to perform a $2,000,000 rehabilitation and that historic tax credits and other incentives alone are not bridging the funding gap. The board also discussed next steps for inspecting other downtown properties and coordinating with building and fire inspections.
The transcript records statements of intent about enforcement and cost recovery but does not record a formal demolition permit or final demolition authorization for 418 Broadway on this date. The item was added to the agenda for further consideration and follow-up steps were assigned to staff during the meeting.
