Owner of historic building has until Oct. 31 to fix it up

116 E. Main St. in January 2019; little has changed.

By Emmanuel Flemister
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The owner of the condemned building at 116 E. Main St. has until the end of October to fix up the rundown landmark or face the likelihood of the city tearing it down.

Woodford County planning and zoning officials had given Ness Alamdari of Lexington until March 30 to correct 10 issues with the building, as cited by Building Inspector Joshua Stevens on Feb. 10.

The deadline was extended to Oct. 31 after a consulting engineer for Alamdari submitted a letter, dated March 17, saying that the structure was stable. That headed off a possible order of demolition.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift told the City Council and the news media March 24, “At the end of this extension, he must have the property approved by a certified engineer, who in turn would be taking liability for the structural integrity of the building.” The property has become a “threat to public safety,” Vandergrift said earlier.

If Alamdari fails to meet these requirements, the process becomes “very burdensome for him,” said Vandergrift. “He would essentially have to start the process over with the Board of Architectural Review,” which set conditions for renovation of the property soon after Alamdari bought it in 2016. “If he fails in these obligations, I will be pushing for condemnation.”

Alamdari is still operating under a building permit that was issued in April 2018 and listed the cost of repairs at $20,000.

The property has been a trouble spot since at least 2006, according to Planning and Zoning Commission records. Vandegrift asked for the Feb. 10 inspection. “As a government, we were very patient with him for a long time,” he said in March.

Alamdari told the Messenger Feb. 19 that Vandergrift wants to tear down the building to make it a parking lot for festivals. Vandegrift denied that.

“I think I took the diplomatic route and probably was erring on the side of patience, just trying to make sure we were working with him,” the  mayor said.

The building was erected in 1898 by the Pilgrim Lodge of the Odd Fellows, an African American men's organization. Local historian Bill Penn, a nearby store owner, said it was last occupied 15 to 20 years ago. It is a landmark in Midway’s African American community, but is also one of the most prominent examples of blighted property in Midway, due to its downtown location and severe condition.

The mayor said he would take no pleasure in demolition of a historic stricture, but “I have been inside the building, and like so many others have watched as time and weather continue to deteriorate it . . . I came to believe that condemnation is the only solution.”

Vandegrift said that if the situation isn’t resolved by Oct. 31, one last alternative to demolition could be putting the property the city’s list of abandoned urban properties, which would be done by the city’s new Code Enforcement Board. The list is due to the City Council for review by Jan 1, 2021. Properties on the list are taxed at a much higher rate.

“If this building didn’t have such historical significance, I would likely disagree with this step,” he said. “But if one last-ditch effort to save this structure is what it takes, then we’ll proceed with a keen eye and a stern voice. We will continue to ensure that the citizens of Midway will not be taken advantage of, but we will also willingly follow the letter of the law in both protecting the rights of owners and the safety of our residents and visitors.”