HomeMy WebLinkAboutHDC1995-007 Exhibit "B" about Owners Wish to Demolish the Structure Located At 615 East Capitol 05/10/1994EXHIBIT "B"
The owners wish to demolish the structure located at 615 East
Capitol. The public safety and welfare requires that the structure
be demolished. On May 10, 1994, the City of Little Rock Department
of Neighborhoods and Planning notified the owners that the
structure was unsafe, unfit for human habitation, offensive to the
neighborhood, and dangerous to persons in the vicinity or lawfully
passing by the structure. The structure was declared to be in
violation of City ordinances and declared by the City to be a
nuisance and detrimental to the public welfare of the citizens of
the City of Little Rock. Attached hereto is a copy of Warning
Notice No. 7901 filed for record in the Circuit Court of Pulaski
County, Arkansas as Instrument No. 94-35071. The structure was
submitted to the Little Rock Board of Directors for condemnation by
Ordinance on June 21, 1994. The Motion was tabled. Since May of
1994 the building has continued to deteriorate. The entire east
wall of the structure has collapsed. In addition, despite efforts
by the owners, transients continue to occupy the property.
Recently attempts were made to clear the vegetation from the
property. During these efforts it became obvious that the property
was snake infested with poisonous snakes. If the owners are not
allowed to demolish the property, then it is possible that someone
could be seriously injured by the collapse of the structure or
bitten by a poisonous snake.
The fact that the building is located in an historic district
and cannot be demolished except with the permission of the Historic
District Commission is posing an extreme hardship on the owners.
The owners do not have the financial ability to further secure the
property nor to rehabilitate the structure. The property has been
listed with various real estate companies over the past five years.
No valid offers to purchase the property have been received.
Therefore, the property because of its location in the historic
district is practically worthless. If the owners were to be
allowed to demolish the structure they believe that the property
could be sold for an amount in excess of $200,000. This figure is
based upon the comparable land sale for the real property that was
sold directly across the street from this property. The owners
believe that if they are not allowed to demolish the structure
because of its location in the historic district then their
valuable property rights have been taken without just compensation
in violation of the United States and Arkansas Constitutions.
The owners believe that because of the severe structural
instability and irreparable deterioration of the building that it
cannot be rehabilitated. Because of their limited financial
resources, the owners have not had an independent engineer or
architect inspect the property. However, they have been informed
that if the structure could be saved it would cost in excess of
$500,000.00 to rehabilitate the building. This extreme financial
costs makes it even more evident that the sale of the real estate
with the home located on it would be impossible.