Wednesday, July 26, 2023
In an on-going effort to keep our downtown businesses, residents and visitors informed as to the latest status of the West Main Street closure, we are providing a weekly update each Wednesday until the Cherry Street to Plum Street block is opened back up to vehicles.
CURRENT STATUS AS OF ABOVE DATE
On July 19, 2023, Common Pleas Judge Stacy Wall ruled on the property owner’s objections to the appointment of its expert witness, Structural Engineer Daniel Geers. As part of that decision, the Court ordered all parties “to cooperate to reach a mutually-acceptable date for Mr. Geers to inspect the Tavern Building.” The Court recognized that time is of the essence, noting “[G]iven the claims of urgency, priority should be given to Mr. Geer’s earliest availability.”
As of today, Mr. Geers has not scheduled an inspection of the building. The City has instructed staff to be available at whatever time and date is set but until such time as the legal proceedings are resolved, and the Chief Building Official rescinds his demolition order per Ohio Building Code Section 109.4 (1), that demolition order remains in effect and West Main Street from Cherry to Plum Streets will remain closed.
BACKGROUND
On June 16, 2023 the Miami County/Troy Chief Building Official (CBO), his Structural Engineer, as well as the Troy Fire Chief and Assistant Chiefs conducted an on-site inspection of the building located at 112-118 West Main Street, also known as the Tavern Building. As a result of that inspection, the CBO’s Structural Engineer determined “the possibility of collapse of the northern wall of this structure is a grave concern…it is obvious that this structure is beyond reasonable repair and should be demolished due to it being a safety concern for human life and potential damage to adjacent structures.”
Based on that report, the CBO has ordered that all unsafe conditions be abated immediately. The Miami County Prosecutor filed a court motion requesting the Judge to order it demolished. The CBO and Fire Chief also certified “…that the demolition of [The Tavern Building] is required by public safety because of unsafe or dangerous conditions.” On June 24th, the City installed barricades at the intersections of West Main Street between Cherry and Plum Streets. That section of West Main Street remains closed to vehicular traffic, as well as to pedestrian traffic in front of the Tavern Building. The City has created 11 parking spots on the east side of the street closure, to provide temporary support for the small businesses located there.
CONTACT
The City of Troy is committed to providing up-to-the-minute information regarding this unfortunate issue and will be monitoring its status and will post updates on our social media and websites. Contact (937) 335-1725 if questions.