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Allentown homes in on code violations: List of warehouses follows closing of Railroad Street site.(Morning Call, The (Allentown, PA) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Dec. 16--Two weeks ago, when Allentown shuttered Nat Hyman's converted warehouse on Railroad Street for fire and building code violations, he complained there are other buildings in similar condition that the city was ignoring. Hyman even pointed some of them out to city officials. Now the city has started cracking down on a list of about 10 similar buildings -- but it won't say where the list came from or what buildings are on it. City building and fire code inspectors visited at least two additional warehouses this week, shutting off the utilities to one building at Fourth and Tilghman streets and requiring the owner of another building at 930 N. Fourth Street to make minor repairs. "When we get a tip that involves public safety, we have to act on it," said city spokesman Joseph McDermott. "We don't typically identify people who provide the tips. While we can't be as proactive as we would like to be, we do try to be as reactive as possible when we do get a tip." Fire Marshal Robert Scheirer said someone provided the city with a list of about 10 buildings to inspect, and the city has gotten more than halfway through the list, but he couldn't confirm its source. Patrick Gray, owner of Silkwerks, the building at 930 N. Fourth St., said he knows where it came from. He accused Hyman of putting together the list of buildings and approaching some of his tenants, telling them they were going to have problems and offering them space in his buildings. Gray, who has been critical of city officials' preoccupation with the development in the Hamilton Street corridor, said he will make whatever repairs are necessary to keep his building within code requirements. He said the city might see its older warehouses and factories put to better use if it were open to encouraging and supporting developers outside its central business district. Gray pointed out that he has plenty of good tenants, including karate and yoga studios and the Theater Outlet. "We've invested [tens of thousands] of dollars in our fire safety system over the years," Gray said. Scheirer said Silkwerks had only very minor deficiencies. "It's actually in very good shape," Scheirer said. Hyman said he never meant to cause problems for other landlords or businesses, and did not provide the city with a specific list, only pointed out buildings he thought the city also should be inspecting. "I simply said to them I want to be treated the same as everyone else," Hyman said. Hyman's building at 734 N. Railroad St. remains closed. He said he is still planning to sell his Allentown holdings and is negotiating a lease to move the offices of his Landau jewelry business out of the city. Geoff Kraznov, president of Style Source on Hanover Avenue, said the city's approach of swooping down on the other buildings was counterproductive and has damaged his business by essentially shutting down a key supplier in the building at Fourth and Tilghman. With the building closed and the utilities off, Kraznov said he can't get to the material produced by subcontractor K&H that he needs to fill apparel orders. He blames the city for over-zealous enforcement that has put dozens out of work. "It's killing me," Kraznov said. "The danger was not imminent to the point where something was going to fall on someone. This is not the way to go about it." Scheirer said the city is being systematic about the inspections and only shutting down buildings that are unsafe. New York City-based Heights Real Estate Company, which owns the building at 715 N. Fourth St., near the intersection with Tilghman Street, is working very hard to bring it up to safety standards, Scheirer said. The building, which houses five manufacturing businesses and medical records storage for Sacred Heart Hospital, could be reopened, with utilities restored, as early as this weekend, he said. Scheirer said the city doesn't shut down buildings for no reason. He said he asks himself at each inspection whether he would be comfortable having a family member working there. "We're not shutting buildings down just to shut them down. It's a matter of life safety," Scheirer said. [email protected] 610-820-6582 Copyright (c) 2006, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |