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Board gives broker 30 days to seek options for 21‑acre former Eagle Pitcher site; requires securing
Summary
Broker for the bank owner of the former Eagle Pitcher manufacturing site asked the board for 90 days to find a buyer; the board instead gave 30 days and emphasized the property must be secured, asking the owner's representative to return with specific options (secure, repair, demolish).
The building board on April 25 pressed the owner’s representative for concrete options to address a large, unsecured industrial parcel at 1220 Northwest Murphy Boulevard — a 21‑acre, multi‑building former Eagle Pitcher site the broker said the bank is willing to sell.
Kevin Van Storey, a broker representing Ben Davis and Angel Oak Bridge Lending Fund, told the board he is marketing the property (currently listed at $379,000) and asked the board to pause demolition or forcing action while he seeks buyers. Van Storey said contractors and prospective buyers are in discussions and that securing the site should be possible within weeks, but he warned the cost to fully demolish the complex could be far higher given potential hazardous materials (lead, cadmium, asbestos) and the site's size.
Board members and staff pressed for immediate steps to secure the property. Staff told the board that the city can order it secured or set a dangerous‑building hearing; staff and members said boarding up and installing OSB to block access would be an acceptable minimum for the next hearing. Board ultimately moved to continue the item to May 30, asking Van Storey and his agent to return with 3–4 options after consulting with staff: (1) secure the building, (2) repair, (3) demolish, and (4) a bank‑led short sale or sale scenario. The board emphasized that a continuance would not replace the requirement that the ground level be made secure by the next meeting.
Board members voiced frustration that large, bank‑owned properties accumulate and become more expensive to address over time; staff said a vacant dangerous building program is being developed to provide earlier intervention and possible fines, acknowledging statutory limits on fine amounts and known delays for asbestos and environmental clearances.
Provenance: Van Storey presentation and question/answer exchange (SEG 645–SEG 1225); board motion to continue and request options (SEG 1184–SEG 1225).
