Demolition orders filed for 2 long-vacant Ann Arbor structures

Demolition plans are moving forward for a vacant home on Ann Arbors east side and a small former gas station on Main Street.

A building official said he expects the home at 3123 Cherry Tree Lane to be down in the coming days while a small structure at 800 N. Main St. will be demolished in around three weeks following an asbestos survey.

In recent years, neighbors of the Cherry Tree Lane property have complained that the home has served as a shelter for vagrants and leaks in the structure have produced significant water damage and mold in the interior.

The city's Building Board of Appeals ordered the house demolished in 2012, but Ralph Welton, the citys chief development official, said the city found its owner, George Patrikakos, was living in Greece, which presented legal challenges. He also had a reverse mortgage on the home, which further complicated the situation.

Patrikakos isnt in a financial position to bring the home up to code, Welton previously said, and it was lost to foreclosure.

Its time, Welton said of the homes demolition. The order to commence demolition has been issued to the contractors, so it should be complete within the next few days.

The struggle to get the property up to code started over ten years ago when building inspectors found a variety of issues in an illegally built addition, including holes in the wall that made it possible to see outdoors. A pipe from the bathroom sink drained into the shower and wires were running through the furnace.

Sections of siding are missing and debris remains scattered around the driveway and front lawn, though the home has been closely monitored over the last year.

The city will pay for the demolition and place a lien on the property.

The colorful former Main Street gas station has also been a focus of the building department for the last seven months.

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Demolition orders filed for 2 long-vacant Ann Arbor structures