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Bricks fall from unstable Lebowsky Center
posted by
steelbeard1
on
March 28, 2007 at 12:35 pm
OWOSSO, MI — On Friday, March 23, a number of bricks from the partially collapsed west wall of the fire damaged Lebowsky Center fell onto the adjacent Chemical Bank building. One bank employee heard the rumbling overhead and left the area to inform others. There was no apparent damage to the bank building.
Owosso’s building inspector said an emergency abatement has been issued for the removal of the unstable sections of the west and north walls of the theater. No one is allowed inside the fire damaged theater and adjacent eastern portion of the bank building now until the unstable portions are removed. Demolition has been slowed by seasonal load limit laws keeping heavy machinery off the roads during the spring months, but a demolition company will begin work by Wednesday.
The unstable east wall is attached to the unstable west wall by a truss whose partial collapse pulled the two walls inward so it’s feared that removal of part of the east wall may adversely affect the stability of the west wall.
More details can be found in The Argus-Press.
Comments (1)
An updated report from WJRT at View link mentions that a construction crew was on the Lebowsky Center roof to make repairs after the bricks fell onto the bank building. The partial demolition will take place once it’s OK for the heavy machinery to be sent due to the springtime load limit laws. Architects are working on a “phased reconstruction” first involving rebuilding the outside walls and the theater and stage house roofs to enclose the theater again before making interior repairs. They hope to have the theater completely renovated by the summer of 2009.