Pierceton Building Collapses
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
BY TIFFANY SHAW, Times-Union Staff Writer
An abandoned building surprised Pierceton Tuesday when a portion of it collapsed onto Market Street.
The building, an old filling station on the corner of Market and First streets, began to fall around 11:15 a.m. when the back wall collapsed. The south wall fell into Market Street at 2:15 p.m.
Pierceton Fire Department blocked off the street to traffic before the second collapse and closed Ind. 13 after the second. Ind. 13 reopened yesterday, and Market Street was cleared and opened this morning. No one was injured.
One fireman described the damage as total. The south half lies in rubble, with only part of the north face still standing.
The building, owned by Jim Perry, is up for tax sale. Since it is still private property, the owner is responsible to take care of the building. The town could only clear the debris out of the street and pile it into and around the building.
The town of Pierceton has discussed the building's predicament and is waiting for confirmation of a grant to test the soil for possible contamination from the old gas tanks in front of the building.
A city employee said that while Pierceton does have authority to take over the building, they are waiting for the test grant before they accept liability for the property. They do not have the funds to clean up the site.
The town cannot tear down the remains of the building unless they take over the property, which they will not do until the tests are done. [[In-content Ad]]
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BY TIFFANY SHAW, Times-Union Staff Writer
An abandoned building surprised Pierceton Tuesday when a portion of it collapsed onto Market Street.
The building, an old filling station on the corner of Market and First streets, began to fall around 11:15 a.m. when the back wall collapsed. The south wall fell into Market Street at 2:15 p.m.
Pierceton Fire Department blocked off the street to traffic before the second collapse and closed Ind. 13 after the second. Ind. 13 reopened yesterday, and Market Street was cleared and opened this morning. No one was injured.
One fireman described the damage as total. The south half lies in rubble, with only part of the north face still standing.
The building, owned by Jim Perry, is up for tax sale. Since it is still private property, the owner is responsible to take care of the building. The town could only clear the debris out of the street and pile it into and around the building.
The town of Pierceton has discussed the building's predicament and is waiting for confirmation of a grant to test the soil for possible contamination from the old gas tanks in front of the building.
A city employee said that while Pierceton does have authority to take over the building, they are waiting for the test grant before they accept liability for the property. They do not have the funds to clean up the site.
The town cannot tear down the remains of the building unless they take over the property, which they will not do until the tests are done. [[In-content Ad]]