A tornado-damaged building in Mooresville has sat for over two years. Here's what we know.

For more than two years, residents and visitors of Mooresville have seen a reminder of the EF-1 tornado that hit the town on April 8, 2020.

That reminder, a building located at 1 and 3 E. Main Street, sits in the heart of the downtown area.

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The structure was significantly damaged that evening and has sat open to the elements.

What happened

On the evening of April 8, 2020, an EF-1 tornado touched down near the intersection of Concord and Main streets near downtown Mooresville shortly before 8:30 p.m.

The tornado traveled southeast, hitting the downtown area and eventually dissipating near the Mooresville Wendy's along State Road 144. It also hit and demolished the old shelterhouse at Old Town Park.

In fact, the tornado damaged several buildings in Mooresville — including tearing off the front facade of one building and caused significant damage to the roof on the old library building at 24 W. Main St.

While not directly hit by the tornado, the Mooresville Friends Academy Building — which sits on the campus of Newby Memorial Elementary School — was also significantly damaged.

Who owns the property

According to county records, the building at 1 and 3 E. Main Street is owned by Monrovia-based company Finmar Properties, LLC.

Finmar purchased the property in November 2020, about seven months after the tornado struck Mooresville.

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At the time the tornado hit the building, it was owned by Andy and Anita Warren.

Recent updates

During a Mooresville Town Council meeting on Dec. 7, 2021, Mooresville Superintendent of Public Works Dave Moore said he had met with representatives from Finmar Properties.

The building owner had applied for a demolition permit on the structure from the town.

Finmar, at that time, had hired the LaFary Group to demolish the building.

At the March 1 Mooresville Town Council meeting, Moore reported that the contractor was not meeting with the building owner.

"It's just one excuse after another," Moore said at the March 1 meeting.

On April 7, Mooresville Town Council President Tom Warthen told the Reporter-Times during a phone call that Finmar was having "difficulties coming to terms with a contractor that they are under contract with."

"We have authorized, or asked, our legal counsel to be prepared for when their building permit — their improvement/demolition permit — expires, what actions can we take from that point forward," Warthen noted during that April 7 phone conversation.

At one point, there were plans to fix up the building.

But, a building permit was eventually issued to the company that expired in April.

Also on April 7, the structure was brought up for discussion during a meeting of the Mooresville Redevelopment Commission.

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RDC member Brian Culp said he wanted to see something done with the building as talk of potential future economic development project was brought up at the meeting.

At the May 17 meeting of the Mooresville Town Council, it was announced Finmar Properties had signed an agreement with Mooresville that if the structure was not torn down within 30 days, the town could solicit bids to bring the building down.

"They're still knotted up with LaFary on a contract," Moore said at the May 17 town council meeting. "It's really ugly and messy."

By the June 21 town council meeting, the town council had decided it would need to tear the building down.

The town can place a lien on the property for any funds it uses to tear down the structure.

At the July 19 town council meeting, the council approved a $100,000 bid from Restoration Impact LLC to demolish the building.

The approval was contingent on a professional services agreement being added into the contract between Restoration Impact and the town's legal representatives.

The bid received final approval by the town council at its Aug. 3 meeting.

Fencing was placed around the building in early August, and some work took place on the building.

At the Aug. 16 Mooresville Town Council meeting, Warthen announced the town had been made aware of issues with the contractor's insurance coverage.

He noted the coverage did not meet the minimum standards of the town.

"He came to us, was upfront and forthright with us, and told Dave (Moore) that he was having trouble getting the coverage the town expected of him that he had signed the contract for," Warthen said on Aug. 16. "He has been working with a local insurance agent and seems to be getting some type of traction on getting that job done."

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The council voted to terminate the contract with Restoration Impact on Aug. 16.

Members of the town council also voted to declare the state of the building as an emergency situation, allowing the town to quickly hire a new contractor to demolish the building.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Mooresville building stands over two years after hit by tornado