When Are We Going to Open The Road?

The City has Endured Nine Months of a Shuttered Road Thanks to the North Wall of the IOOF Buildling

On March 24th, the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance proudly announced the long awaited completion of repairs on the damaged parapet of the IOOF Building. This significant repair comes after the structure was damaged by a tornado that struck downtown Troy in January 2020.

The damaged parapet, a key reason for the closure of the sidewalk on the south side of West Main Street between Plum and Cherry Streets, prompted the Miami County Building Department to issue several adjudication orders on the structure. These orders were aimed to abate the nuisances and safety concerns at the building and were followed by a directive for the building's demolition, as certified in late June 2023 by the county’s Chief Building Official and the city’s Fire Chief.

After an inspection of the building after last year’s Troy Strawberry Festival, West Main Street was closed on June 24, 2023, and remains so nine months later, the city's stance has been that it will not reopen until the building is either demolished or the adjudication order is resolved. As the days pass, the likelihood of demolition diminishes significantly; a direct result of the investment of time, talent and treasure into this building.

And while the scaffolding still remains and there is still some work to be done on the north wall of the IOOF Building, the community is finally getting closer to the point where this street can be open. Local bureaucrats need to start planning NOW and give the public insights on when West Main Street will finally be open. What immediate tasks need to happen to get the road open as soon as possible? Could the street be opened before the April 30th deadline?

In the public’s eye, the parapet was perhaps the most critical repair that needed to be completed on the building. However this publication understands arguments that contend that the parapet was not the sole issue, suggesting other structural concerns within the building.

And those contentions need to be placed under a critical lens. An examination of that argument suggests that perhaps the most significant risk of collapse was likely in the older sections of the building, particularly the 1841 structure. The December 22nd Settlement Agreement transferring the property to the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance goes into greater detail about the failing condiiton of the roof on the 1841 structure, rather than the parapet on the north wall.

This situation raises a vital question: If the building's condition warranted the closure of West Main Street, why were no other areas deemed necessary for closure, especially given the perceived danger of the 1841 structure's roof?

The selective closure, particularly when considering the proximity of the Cherry Street Local Farmers Market that was moved closer to the potentially hazardous roof, suggests major inconsistencies in the city's safety measures compared to its response to the failing parapet. In the photo below, the Red highlighted area shows where the failing roof was on the building; the yellow areas showed where the Cherry Street Local Farmers Market was relocated.

Bureaucrats are now positioned to provide some indication of when the project may conclude. The Troy Historic Preservation Alliance faces a strict deadline of April 30 to complete all necessary repairs to stabilize the building. Reports indicate that the group is making significant progress: the parapet has been repaired, and the new roof trusses have been installed. While scaffolding still surrounds the building and further work on the north wall is required, the reopening of West Main Street draws nearer every day.

It would be advantageous for these bureaucrats to inform the public about the earliest possible date for reopening the road and when businesses on West Main Street can anticipate a return to normalcy. Merely stating that the road will remain closed under a broad directive to “abate all nuisances” is insufficient to satisfy public scrutiny for much longer.

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