Realty Owner Initiates Demolition Process

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The owner of the Realty Tower has “initiated the process of demolition,” according to a news release issued Thursday afternoon by the city.

A condemned sign hangs on the fence surrounding the building and late Thursday, crews were hosing down the bottom of the east-facing portion of the structure. A worker in a bucket attached to a crane worked near the top of the outside fire escape, throwing sparks.

A spokeswoman for the building owner and property management company said demolition of the building will begin Friday afternoon.

“Again this process has been fluid with a lot of moving parts. It has been of utmost importance that all elements have been properly assessed, coordinated and completed,” said Kollin Chupa, the spokeswoman for YO Properties 47 LLC and Live Youngstown Property Management, in an email.

Jeffrey Uroseva, Mahoning County chief building official, issued the demolition permit Thursday afternoon and said he notified the owners who will pick it up.

The news release issued Thursday afternoon by Charles Shasho, city deputy director of public works, said the demolition is a private job and not administered by the city.

“In addition to the security fence placed around the building by the owners, the City of Youngstown has installed and will maintain additional barricades marking the ‘collapse zone,'” the release said. “As the building demolition proceeds and the height of the building is reduced, the collapse zone will be reduced accordingly. It is anticipated that full removal of the collapse zone can be achieved at the Youngstown Fire Chief’s [Barry Finley] discretion once the demolition reaches the 4th floor.”

The release from Shasho also lists several items that downtown residents, businesses and patrons can expect throughout the process:

• Larger than usual amounts of truck traffic will be present in the downtown area, specifically on Market Street and Federal Plaza.
• Demolition work being done beyond traditional business hours and days so the work can be completed in a timely manner.
• The presence of dust during the demolition process — this is inevitable. The contractor will provide continuous water to the demolition footprint to help control it.
• Further damage to the road and curbs in the immediate vicinity of the demolition site may occur. The city is preparing for this to ensure quick repairs.
• Relocation of barricades marking the collapse zone as the demolition progresses. To help ensure everyone’s safety during the demolition process, we ask that you please respect these barricades.

It also says the city is “continuing to work to ensure the safety of our residents, businesses, and visitors during this process. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation.”

A May 28 explosion damaged the building, killed an employee of the Chase Bank on the first floor, injured several others and displaced residents of the building’s 23 apartments. The Stambaugh Building, which houses the DoubleTree by Hilton and Bistro 1907, has been closed since the explosion. 

Residents of International Towers, which is next to Realty, were evacuated in mid-June because of concerns about Realty’s potential collapse.

Although several community members rallied to save the 100-year-old building, its owners, based on evaluations from engineers, decided to demolish it. The engineers cited determined that while the building could be saved, its longevity couldn’t be guaranteed or insured, the owners said.

City firefighters working on their own time Wednesday, retrieved some of the Realty Tower residents’ possessions from the apartments they haven’t been able to enter since the explosion.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is in the city working on the project.

“An Ohio EPA inspector has been on site and will be performing inspections throughout the scheduled demolition activities,” an OEPA spokeswoman said earlier this week.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.