Details of the condition of three now condemned downtown Warren buildings described in letter from engineer to the City of Warren

WARREN, Ark. – In a letter to City of Warren Mayor Gregg Reep in February of this year, registered professional engineer Larry Schmalz of Schmalz Engineering stated that after a detailed inspection, the Ederington and Hankins buildings and Sandwich Shop building in his opinion “should not be occupied until major repairs are made to them.”

As Saline River Chronicle has reported on extensively over the past few months, the City of Warren originally became aware of potential issues with the three buildings Friday, January 6, 2023 after debris was found having fallen from one of the structures on the sidewalk by Street crews cleaning the roadway. That began a series of inspections. The first was conducted by the City Building Official Rob Johnson and Fire Chief Chuck Moore. Upon their initial impressions of the buildings, along with a second inspection in consultation with the State Fire Marshall, multiple outside inspections by structural experts were commissioned and paid for by the City. The building owners were notified throughout the process of what was going on.

Saline River Chronicle requested and obtained from the City of Warren the letter from Schmalz Engineering dated February 9, 2023. Written following an inspection by Larry Schmalz, a registered professional engineer, the letter warns the City of an “advanced state of deterioration” in all of the buildings inspected.

“There were areas where the roof structure had ‘localized failures’ and was sagging excessively,” said Schmalz. “Water was coming through the roof system and collecting on the second floor framing.”

Schmalz noted that some of the “exterior windows were broken out or missing entirely.” He went on to state that the condition of the windows alone “allows rain water to saturate the wood framing and advance the deterioration.”

In all three buildings, Schmalz found deterioration from water damage in both the roof system and in the wood framing of the structures.

Schmalz also discovered that the brick walls were, as he put it, “in disrepair.” Bricks were found to haven fallen onto adjacent roofs and cracks were seen in the brick walls. “The mortar between the bricks was soft and deteriorated,” and “in some cases the bricks could be moved with hand pressure because of the lack of mortar.”

On the day of the inspection, Schmalz said rain was present. “It appears that rainwater often penetrates the roof system and saturates the wood framing,” he continued.

Several ‘localized failures’ were found in the framing at the second floor and framing at the roof level. Schmalz characterized this as “dangerous now,” noting that the issues will only “accelerate with time.”

“I cannot predict when a major failure will occur, but given the present condition, it is only a matter of time before larger areas will collapse, unless repairs are implemented,” he said. “I believe that these buildings should not be occupied until major repairs are made to them,” he concluded.

Mayor Reep subsequently informed the Council of the findings in the February City Council meeting. According to him, notification was made to building owners of the City’s condemnation of the structures. They were informed that due to being a public safety hazard the City was forced to post the buildings unsafe for occupancy as of March 31, 2023. They were given time to respond with plans to make repairs or make other arrangements.

As Saline River Chronicle reported Tuesday, the Bradley County Quorum Court authorized the purchase of all three buildings, as well as two other adjacent structures during the Monday night, April 17, 2023 Quorum Court Meeting. The County plans to demolish the structures in the coming weeks.