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Board adds 418 Broadway demolition to agenda after staff says ‘building is beyond saving,’ discusses enforcement and funding gaps
Summary
Design Review Board added demolition of the Style Center at 418 Broadway to the agenda and heard from staff that the back half of the roof has collapsed and renovation would cost about $2,000,000; staff said letters have been sent to owners under the vacant‑property registration program and demolition funding conversations involve the Lorain County Land Bank.
The Design Review Board voted to add a demolition request for 418 Broadway (the Style Center) to its agenda and heard staff testimony that the building is structurally unsafe and costly to rehabilitate. Matthew Schnau, PhD, said the building is "beyond saving" without a significant capital investment and that estimates to white‑box the structure are around $2,000,000.
Schnau said staff has pursued grants for rehabilitation and has been in talks with the Lorain County Land Bank; he told the board the land bank has unofficially committed funds that could cover demolition costs. Dave Fasiano, introduced by staff as the city’s CBL, described a collapsed rear roof, saturated joists and basement damage and warned the structure poses risks to adjacent properties. "The back half of the roof is collapsed," Fasiano said, and an engineer’s cost estimate to white‑box the building was "right around the $2,000,000 mark."
Board members asked whether preserving the streetscape or front facade was feasible; Fasiano said, given the building’s condition, preserving the front is not likely without large investment. The board discussed enforcement pathways for owners who fail to comply with the city’s vacant‑property registration requirements. Staff said letters have been sent, registration deadlines set, and that noncompliance will move to court; Schnau warned this will raise the city’s court workload as cases escalate.
The Chair also called a motion concerning a setback related to 418 Broadway; that motion was made and seconded and the Chair announced it carried. The transcript does not include a full roll‑call tally for that motion. Staff explained that if the city funds demolition or cleanup it may assess the property owner through taxes or liens, but recoveries can take years and are not guaranteed. Fasiano said recouping demolition costs "may not be immediate" and could occur over several years or possibly never if taxes or foreclosure wipe out assessments.
The board discussed the broader downtown context—other Broadway buildings in deteriorating condition, encroachment issues, squatters and short‑term rentals—and noted historic tax credits and incentives sometimes are insufficient to cover the gap between rehabilitation costs and investor expectations. Several members urged continued coordination with Main Street Lorain and other stakeholders on rehabilitation incentives and enforcement.
