A mural depicting a train seemingly pulling into the former Pennsylvania Railroad Depot greets visitors to Richmond’s Historic Depot District. However, that train is replaced by cars, SUVs and pickup trucks.
The city of Richmond plans to demolish the former Mechanics Laundry and Supply Inc. building at 1002 N. E St., where the mural is painted, to create a parking lot for about 50 vehicles. The plan took another step forward on Aug. 12 when the Historic Preservation Commission approved a permit to allow demolition by a 5-0 vote. The permit is necessary because the building is located in the Depot Conservation District.
The one-story steel building was constructed in 1956 on about a half-acre lot between North E Street and the railroad tracks, just east of the depot building. Dustin Purvis, the city’s director of planning, said the 100,000-square-foot building was uninhabitable due to its poor condition from years of vacancy, and zoning plans did not allow for the light industrial use typical of its past.
Purvis further said that the building had no architectural or historical significance and that the contamination caused by Mechanics Laundry had been cleaned up.
The city purchased the building in fall 2021 for $25,000 with plans to create a parking lot. The Richmond Redevelopment Commission has approved funding to demolish the building.
The current Loop project, which will create a bike path along Fort Wayne Avenue and North E Street, will retain 66 parking spaces, including 24 along Fort Wayne Avenue and 42 on North E.
Although no one spoke during the public hearing, 10 nearby property owners responded to planning staff’s notice of the hearing. All 10 supported the demolition and associated parking for businesses and events in the Depot District.
Crain Building
In 2021, the commission issued a COA allowing the removal of the porch at the Crain Building, 2116 E. Main St., but a decision must now be made on the entire Queen Anne-style building in the Linden Hill Conservation District.
With the cost of rehabilitation prohibitive, the building continues to deteriorate amid an ownership dispute, and potential custodians are reluctant to take responsibility. Member Jerry Purcell suggested commissioners organize a tour of the building and prepare to make difficult decisions about what to do next.
Blight Regulation
The city’s law department is currently drafting a new ordinance to deal with the demolition of buildings, Purcell said.
It would require all vacant and dilapidated buildings to be registered with the city, which would incur a registration fee, and property owners from other areas would have to hire a local property manager. For the safety of emergency responders, the buildings would be sealed with clear cardboard instead of plywood.
The ordinance would establish a commission to inspect the buildings and decide whether they should be preserved or demolished, Purcell said.
Successful workshops
With the help of the funding, the commission was able to hold six workshops on the renovation of historic buildings. A total of 55 people took part in the workshops.
Commission members said participants had built contacts with each other and discussed supporting each other’s projects, maintaining the momentum created by the workshops.
A version of this article appears in the August 21, 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
