Owner of crumbling Eastern Market building plans to repair damages: ‘Won't be demolition’

Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

The owner of a building in Eastern Market that partially collapsed last month plans to repair the façade and submitted required documentation to the city on Wednesday, he said.

Scot Turnbull, owner of 2501 Russell St., is planning to repair damage from the collapse last month in a move to save the structure from demolition. As part of an appeal of a demolition order, Turnbull was required to stabilize the site and submit a plan for repairs within 30 days of his appeal to pause demolition. Upon approval, Turnbull will then be required to begin repairs within seven days, according to Dave Bell, director of the city's Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department.

"We submitted those yesterday," Turnbull told the Free Press Thursday. "We're waiting for DTE to move their lines so we can do repairs. There won't be demolition."

A gaping hole following a partial collapse is seen on the second floor of a building known as the Del Bene building at the corner of Winder and Russell in Detroit, across from Eastern Market on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.
A gaping hole following a partial collapse is seen on the second floor of a building known as the Del Bene building at the corner of Winder and Russell in Detroit, across from Eastern Market on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.

The city immediately issued an emergency demolition order on Sept. 16 after a section of the building crumbled, damaging the third and fourth floors on the building's south side and injuring one person. Turnbull hired a team to investigate the structural condition and appealed the demolition order, indicating it was a localized failure and that a full teardown was unnecessary.

Struggles to comply with city regulations

A Sept. 16 inspection report also notes "high voltage power lines run the length of the collapsed side of the building. These power lines feed all of Eastern Market."

Inspection reports dating back to 2020 indicate the site has a history of unsuccessfully securing a certificate of compliance and other violations, according to records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Structural concerns were not listed, but records show compliance issues included: cleanliness of walls, ceilings, floors, vents and a kitchen area, a slide bolt on a rear door, obstructed paths, proper hose connections, and out-of-service fire extinguishers.

BSEED spokeswoman Georgette Johnson confirmed in an email that "there wasn’t any mention of the façade in previous inspections."

Detroit Fire Department personnel converge on the scene where a gaping hole is left following a partial collapse on the second floor of a building known as the Del Bene building at the corner of Winder and Russell in Detroit, across from Eastern Market on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.
Detroit Fire Department personnel converge on the scene where a gaping hole is left following a partial collapse on the second floor of a building known as the Del Bene building at the corner of Winder and Russell in Detroit, across from Eastern Market on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.

Upon receiving Turnbull's application, BSEED will review the plans, note any possible corrections that are needed, return it to Turnbull and review the corrected plans, according to BSEED. Once all corrections are made and approved, the city will issue a permit and he can begin work. The city will then perform inspections related to permits that have been obtained upon request from the contractor.

Turnbull added that he recently pulled a permit for a tattoo shop expanding into the building, which requires a certificate of occupancy. The most recent city record on Detroit's data portal shows a permit was issued in June for a body art facility.

The historic Del Bene building houses Jabs Gym, Brooklyn Outdoor, Detroit Vs. Everybody, Beyond Juicery and Eatery and J'Adore Detroit.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact Dana: dafana@freepress.com or 313-635-3491. Follow her on Twitter: @DanaAfana

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Owner of crumbling Eastern Market building plans to repair damages