COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Board of Public Works this week voted to suspend the demolition order previously issued for the building most affected by the early December Fifth Street fire pending review of the demolition permit. The move was made after hearing plans from the company hired by the owners of the building to perform the demolition.
Jimmy Arthur, of Casey-Bertram Construction Inc. in Indianapolis, said once they receive the necessary permits they would be on-site at 430 Fifth Street within two weeks to make it safe for the demolition. He told the board, “It’ll probably take six to eight weeks to complete the job.”
When the board authorized the demolition order last week, it was done so in the hopes that it would expedite the process of hearing the demolition plans. Some on the board agreed they would much prefer the process be voluntary rather than compulsory, which the suspension in effect does.
“We really don’t want to interject the city into this process but they need to keep the line of communication open and let us know what the plan is,” Mayor Jim Lienhoop said last week.
Fire investigators ruled the cause of the fire as “undetermined” in part because of the deteriorating condition of the building.
