Rock Island officials are ordering the owners of a building that Rock Island firefighters evacuated Monday, June 19, at 217 17th St. to conduct a structural assessment of the property within seven days.
Today, the three-story brick clad structure, which is home to the shop Spellbound: New Age and Gift Shop and four apartment units above it, is fenced off and its tenants have been safely relocated, city officials said.
Rock Island Fire Chief Robert Graff said fire department personnel were dispatched at approximately 7:45 p.m. Monday after a neighbor called and stated bricks were on the sidewalk and appeared to have fallen from the top of the building.
The Rock Island Fire Department and city officials said they acted quickly to evacuate the building and firefighters asked the city’s Inspections Division to assist in evaluating the structure.
“The Fire Department in conjunction with the Inspections Division, evacuated two occupied apartments of the building until the owner could have the building evaluated,” Mr. Graf said in a city news release. “The building was vacated and a barrier was placed around the front of the building.”
Miles Brainard, Rock Island’s community and economic development director, added that Fire Marshal Greg Marty and Building Official Jerad Irvine jointly determined the building was unsafe and ordered it to be evacuated. Mr. Brainard said the building is owned by A Hana Growers, LLC, and that the owner’s representative was on site consulting with city staff about the situation.
“The building has been fenced off and a notice of violation will be issued today,” Mr. Brainard said. “The notice will order that a structural assessment be conducted and scope of work for repairs be prepared within seven days. At this time, reconstruction of the parapet on the front roof line of the building is the known extent of the repairs. Additional work may be required following the structural assessment. It is not known what caused the deterioration at this time.”
A representative of the property owner is working with staff to have a structural assessment done and then proceed with repairs, Mr. Brainard told the QCBJ today. There had not been any complaints about structural issues before last week, he said.
When asked whether the city’s actions were prompted by the recent partial building collapse in Davenport, Mr. Brainard said: “While the unfortunate situation in downtown Davenport is on everyone’s mind, the approach taken by the City of Rock Island in this situation is standard operating procedure. The Fire Department and Inspections Division have always collaborated closely and maintained open communication in emergency situations like this. “
Even before the Davenport disaster which left three dead, Mr. Brainard said, “The Inspections Division under the leadership of the building official is continuing to improve its rental inspection program by adding new administrative staff and streamlining procedures. This is an ongoing process of improvement that began prior to recent events. Larger, older apartment buildings in particular are a focus and the Inspections Division will be giving them extra attention.”
Meanwhile, as of today, the Spellbound shop remained closed and according to a post on its Facebook page staff will not be able to enter its property for the near future.
Regarding when the shop will be back in business, the Facebook post said: “From what we’ve learned, there is an issue with the parapet at the top of the building. Fingers crossed that it could be a relatively easy fix and we can open up again soon, but we really don’t know anything at this point. We’re just grateful that this is an inconvenience for us and the upstairs tenants, and not a tragedy.”
The website promised to post information as they learned it and said “Spellbound will gladly accept any good thoughts, wishes, vibes, or positive energy anyone has to spare!”
Mr. Brainard said the fire marshal and the building official will be reviewing inspection records for the building. A comprehensive evaluation will be undertaken and staff will work with the property owner to achieve minimum code compliance. The economic development team also is on standby to discuss assistance for the business on the ground floor if necessary.
