Council condemns Las Cruces ‘eyesore,’ leading to future demolition

The derelict eyesore building at the entrance to downtown Las Cruces will likely be demolished following a vote by the City Council to condemn the building.

The "Eyesore", as many in the community have come to know it by, sits at 430 South Main Street near the Lohman Avenue intersection. Despite promises of revitalization as recent as 2018, the building decayed after a decade of little activity.

On Monday, the council voted 7-0 to condemn the building. The move puts the onus of demolition on the building’s owner, John Hoffman.

Hoffman has 180 days to demolish the building. If he doesn’t complete the project in that time, the City will hire a crew to knock it down and file a lean.

Larry Nichols, Community Development Director, described the building as ruined, dilapidated and inhabitable.

Nichols has a list of issues with the property, including:

• Unsecured and broken fencing.

• Debris buildup, including weeds, trash, and drug paraphernalia.

• An open trench on the floor of the interior stemming from unfished work.

• Unsecured exterior panels that expose the building’s framing.

• Exposed and hazardous electrical wiring.

• Unauthorized occupancy.

• Unsecured and exposed fiberglass leakage stemming from a roof leak.

The Ikard family originally constructed the building in 1971, according to previous Sun-News reporting.

It was sold to Citizens Bank in 1982 and occupied by the bank and other businesses until it was purchased in 1986 by Doña Ana County. The county’s use ended in May 2006 when the Doña Ana County Government Center opened on Motel Boulevard.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Council condemns Las Cruces ‘eyesore,’ likely leading to demolition