County inspector condemns long-vacant historic building; owner has 20 days to appeal, 30 to fix up

116 E. Main St. once housed an African American men's organization.

By Midway Messenger staff
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Woodford County building inspector has condemned the old, long-vacant Odd Fellows lodge at 116 E. Main St., at the suggestion of Mayor Grayson Vandegrift, the mayor announced today.

The building's owner, Ness Alamdari of Lexington, will have 20 days to appeal to the county Planning and Zoning Commission. Alamdari did not respond immediately to a phone call and voicemail seeking comment.

The letter from Building Inspector Joshua Stevens to Alamdari cited 10 issues and gave him 30 days to correct them and "obtain a letter from a licensed Kentucky engineer certifying that the structure of the building is not in danger of collapse and does not pose a threat to public safety. If an engineer letter is not obtained and a building permit not obtained for the above listed corrections, an order of demolition will be needed."

Vandegrift said in an email to the City Council and the news media that he asked Stevens several months ago to thoroughly inspect the building and consider condemnation.

“My paramount concern was the building's deteriorated condition and the safety threats it poses to the public,” he wrote. “Large metal items, some quite heavy, have already fallen from the structure to the sidewalk below. The building has also become a haven for rodents and is an attractive, and therefore dangerous, nuisance to children as well.”

The mayor told the Messenger in another email, “If the owner continues non-cooperation with the city, and I hope he decides to work with us, we would take any and all measures to make sure the order by Mr. Stevens is carried out. I’d much rather be in this position than talking to someone with a microphone and a camera about a serious injury sustained in downtown Midway.”

If Alamdari does not appeal, and doesn't demolish the building, the city can do the work and place a lien against the property to recover its costs. Alamdari also faces a fine of $25 to $100 per day for each of the 10 violations.

Vandegrift said he would take no pleasure in seeing an historic structure be torn down, but “I have been inside the building and like so many others have watched as time and weather continue to deteriorate it, and I came to believe that condemnation is the only solution.”

The building, which dates to 1898, was built by the Pilgrim Lodge, an African American men's organization.

Bill Penn, a historian who has a gift shop a few doors down from the building, told the Messenger, “I’d rather it be restored, but . . . if the owner isn’t going to restore it, it’s called demolition by neglect.” He added, “I’m disappointed it can’t be saved, but I understand the situation.”

Still, in a way, the old building with the peaked roof in front will be missed. “When a train comes into town from the east, that’s the first thing you see [from it], so it’ll be a gap,” Penn said. He said the building's last occupant was an antique clothing store, 15 to 20 years ago.

The building is one of the most prominent examples of blighted property in Midway, due to its downtown location and severe condition.

This is the first condemnation order issued since 2013, and the first following the City Council's recent creation of the Code Enforcement Board, to which the city could take the matter if the Planning Commission ruled against its own building inspector.

Asked why he didn't wait until the city has its own code enforcement officer, who will soon give the board cases to handle, Vandegrift said, “I’ve been so worried about this causing serious injury that I decided to take a 'try everything' approach, which started with private conversations with the owner. When I wrote the letter requesting condemnation be considered, I didn’t yet know if our new ordinances would be successful, but figured if they were passed and we didn’t succeed in this route with the building inspector then we’d have a Plan B.”

He said Stevens “did a thing that is not easy to do, both technically and demonstratively, but he did the right thing, and I hope this sends a message to others that we want to work with you on getting your properties in order. We’re sending no one to the poor house. But if properties are ignored at the peril of others, we’re serious about taking action.”