2008 Year in Review

Downtown Building Posted as Dangerous for Occupancy

With less than a week before Morrison’s Main Street will be packed with kids and people for Paint the Town, the building at 101 West Main Street has been posted as dangerous for occupancy unless or until the structure is sufficiently stabilized.

In a Press Release from City Administrator Tim Long the following declaration was proposed.

Re: Declaration of unsafe building. 101 W Main Street

The City of Morrison's Code Inspector recently observed an increased amount of cement finish coat falling off the east wall of the three-story brick building at 101 West Main Street, at the southwest comer of the intersection of Main and Genesee Streets. Further exterior visual examination of the building showed a significant bulge in the east wall approximately mid-way up the building. The bulge in the brick face of the building was estimated to be between 6" to 8" out from the base of the building. The building's owner very graciously allowed for an interior inspection to confirm that what was happening inside the building correlated with the appearance of the building exterior.

Based on recommendations and interviews, the City retained a structural engineer from Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates. Inc., Northbrook, Illinois to inspect the building and assess its structural integrity. Wiss. Janney. Elstner (WJE) specializes in the assessment, stabilization, and restoration of Uirn-or-the-century brick buildings, and is listed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency for its expertise in this field. WJE's engineer determined that the east wall had moved away from the interior of the building by as much as 6", to the point that the floor joists for the second floor were resting on only 2" of brick bearing surface and not the 8" as was originally built. There was evidence of water damage at the ends of the floor joists observed. It was the opinion of the structural engineer that this combination of brick and mortar dislocation, with the minimal remaining load-bearing surface for the floor joists presented an unacceptable level of risk for wall and floor collapse to allow it to remain occupied. The City's Code Inspector concurred. Mayor Drey also agreed upon his visual inspection and discussion with WJE's engineer. The building's owner, who is also the sole occupant in the first floor office, was so advised. According to WJE's assessment and past experience, a collapse of this type would, at worst, have fallen brick landing halfway across Genesee Street and into the parking spaces on Main and Market Streets. The bulk of the building would fall in upon itself.

Tim D. Long City Administrator

Based upon the recommendations from WJE, the City has barricaded the short length of Genesee Street between Market and Main Streets and blocked the parking spaces on those streets from 101 to 105 West Main / Market Streets. See the attached aerial view. The building will be posted as dangerous for occupancy unless or until the structure is sufficiently stabilized. The City will follow up working with the owner to rectify the situation.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
September 15, 2008