Republic file photo Columbus City Hall is shown in downtown Columbus.
Columbus officials have agreed to remove a previously imposed condemnation order on a downtown property in order to enable repairs.
Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety members removed a condemnation order issued by the group in August on 1114 Franklin St.
The board issued an order to vacate, condemn and take legal action on the home at the time because it was nearly on the verge of collapsing. The city enlisted a construction company to do an immediate emergency bracing of the house for safety reasons.
The home had been subject to complaints from neighbors, with one person describing to city officials how it had been infested with racoons.
The property, which is owned by CK Sunrise Indy LLC, based in Pearland, Texas, is now structurally sound, Code Enforcement’s Fred Barnett told the board.
It remains unsafe for human habitation, Barnett said, explaining that the city’s action to remove the condemnation is to allow for a contractor hired by the owner to fix up the home.
The county would not issue a building permit on a home that is subject to a condemnation order, Barnett said. And although the vacate order remains in place, the action the board took removing the condemnation “gives them the ability to get a building permit and actually work on the structure,” Barnett said.
There will be some demolition that will occur, but the structure itself will remain. Work to the home will be done over three phases, Cory Booth of CK Sunrise wrote to code enforcement, with the understanding that the project will be finished within six months.
Initial demotion and cleanout of the property is finished, according to Booth. Once the building permits are issued, a contractor plans to update electrical and plumbing, install a new HVAC system and install a new roof, windows and siding. That will be followed by a complete interior remodel, according to city documents.
