A downtown North Judson building is on the verge of collapsing. That’s what Town Attorney Justin Schramm told the town council Thursday. Council members met for an emergency session, after neighbors reported that a portion of the building at 205 and 207 Lane Street had collapsed in on itself earlier in the day.
“You know, this building could collapse in five minutes, it could collapse five months from now. We just don’t know,” Schramm said. “But there was an event today that caused, I guess, shaking of some buildings around town, so we know that a portion of it has collapsed.”
Due to the urgency of the situation, the town is requesting permission to tear down the structure as soon as possible, without going through the bid process that would usually be required. To do that, council members voted to file a complaint in Starke Circuit Court saying the building poses an “immediate danger to the health and safety of the surrounding community.”
Schramm hoped to schedule a court hearing Friday morning, in order to proceed with the demolition as soon as possible. In the meantime, the 200 block of Lane Street has been closed, until the building can be torn down.
The emergency demolition would also mean that the town wouldn’t be able to wait for a blight elimination grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins says there’s enough money in the town’s Economic Development Income Tax and Cumulative Capital funds to cover the cost of the work. However, Schramm also plans to take legal action requesting that the property owner be responsible for reimbursing the town.
The town council had previously taken steps to demolish the structure, but the project was delayed when the owner took legal action to retrieve his personal property from inside the building.
