Leaning building in downtown Baltimore demolished, possible prior work done without permit

Baltimore City ordered an emergency demolition of a building in the heart of downtown after it shifted and started leaning last weekend. 

This unfolded about a block from Lexington Market on North Eutaw Street. 

A representative with the Department of Housing and Community Development said possible work was done on the structure without a permit before it became unstable. 

The demolition 

A pile of bricks and other debris is all that is left of 310 North Eutaw Street. 

The structure that stood there for 135 years is now gone.

"Bricks, wood, and the building in the basement—the whole building just went down in the basement. The basement is about 12 feet deep," said Jerome Banks, who works with the private contractor the city hired to demolish the building.

The problems started over the weekend when the structure started leaning into 308 North Eutaw Street next door. That building, which housed a liquor store, has been condemned. 

"Real dangerous," Banks said. "It could have killed people. If someone was inside of that building, it might have done worse than what it was doing. It was just leaning like that, but it could have killed people. It could've collapsed and killed people."

Permit issues 

WJZ Investigates has learned from Baltimore housing that there were no prior structural issues brought to the city's attention before last weekend. 

The city said there were permits for work underway at the building that started leaning. 

The city said, "It appears there was also some unpermitted work going on, and a subsequent Stop Work Order has been issued."

The owner is ultimately responsible for paying for the cost of demolition, according to the housing department.

"As part of our standard procedure following any emergency demolition, all adjacent properties are reassessed to ensure safety and stability," the housing department said. 

The property owner was at the scene Tuesday but declined to comment to WJZ Investigates. 

Reducing vacant buildings

Baltimore has made progress reducing the number of vacant properties.

As of Tuesday, there were 12,532 citywide, according to Baltimore City's vacant dashboard. 

That is down about 800 vacant buildings since the start of the year. 

WJZ Investigates has reported on the city's plan to functionally eliminate vacant buildings in the next 15 years, but it remains an uphill battle to get the funding for redevelopment.

"The plan is not just a four-year plan. This is a 15-year plan," Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren in March. "We have all the pieces and parts in place. We've been doing this work for years. This isn't like we're starting from zero. We're not starting from scratch."

The state has pledged $50 million annually toward the effort.     

Business owner is fed up

Terrence Thrweatt owns a business on the other side of 310 North Eutaw Street.

Between the demolished building and his shop sit two vacant structures. One is largely open to the outdoors with decorative trim crumbling several stories above the ground—a threat to the sidewalk and street below.

He said he deals with squatters living inside and wants all the dilapidated nearby buildings torn down. 

"I think it's an eyesore, and I think it does affect our business," Thrweatt told WJZ. "People want to be attracted to downtown. Right now, we don't have too much to be attracting people down here."