DEMOLITION ON A VACANT S. ELM STREET building in Owosso began on Tuesday, Dec. 14.
The city of Owosso closed off a portion of S. Elm Street on Monday, Sept. 20 to investigate a roof collapse. The four-story structure once housed part of the historic Owosso Casket Company. A building directly south is currently headquartered by Josh’s Frogs and was also a feature of the Owosso Casket Company.
Officials and a third-party engineer evaluated the stability of the brick structure, located south of the Shiawassee Family YMCA and west of Valley Lumber. The engineer submitted a report stating, “the structure suffered neglect of maintenance for an extended period of time. Water has been able to infiltrate the structure and caused rot in the wood members that eventually caused the latest collapse. The structure has several area of concerns present.” Ultimately, years of water entering into the building caused irreparable damage and the integrity of the building failed. The city deemed it unsafe and decided on demolition out of concern for public safety.
The building has been privately owned by at least three individuals for several decades, used mostly for storage since the 1980s. The current owner is in prison, serving an unrelated sentence. As has been discussed in city council meetings, the recent owner had possibly considered using the building for apartments.
(Independent Photo/Karen Mead-Elford)
