City of Toledo orders downtown building owner to fix property

Ergur Private Equity Group LLC of San Francisco, which owns the building, has until May 2 to fix the facade.

The city of Toledo ordered the owner of the vacant Nicholas Building at 608 Madison Ave to fix the facade and prevent pieces from falling.

Ergur Private Equity Group LLC of San Francisco has until May 2 to fix the unstable facade, according to David Golis, the city’s chief building official.

“We originally made contact with the owner of the Nicholas Building Feb. 18, 2011 to inform him of the loose facade,” Mr. Golis said in an e-mail.

“That same day a city of Toledo-owned building directly across the street, 243 N. Huron, sustained similar damage due to the strong winds and barricades were installed on the sidewalk to block pedestrian access at both buildings,” Mr. Golis wrote.

The city-owned building had been repaired and the barricades were removed, but no repairs were done to the Nicholas Building.

The sidewalk is still blocked off for pedestrians. The city has threatened legal action if it does not make the repairs.

The Ergur Group could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Both the the Nicholas and nearby Spitzer buildings in downtown are moving through foreclosure proceedings.

The Ergur Group paid $314,000 in 2008 for the 17-story Nicholas Building, but closed the site in September, 2009, after struggling to retain tenants. The building has been mothballed, but a Spitzer Co. maintenance man attends to the building to minimize damage.

The Ergur Group bought the 10-story Spitzer Building in April, 2009, for $800,000, but the California company has struggled to make payments on the note. After the purchase, several tenants left the Spitzer Building for other offices downtown.

The property owner owes $219,566.49 in taxes dating back to when it was purchased, according to the Lucas County Auditor’s office.