BALTIMORE — A vacant structure on Greenmount avenue is just rubble, after a sudden and unexpected collapse Sunday morning.
"We're going to have to restart all over again and then, get it going," property developer Iyasu Asress said.
Asress has family ties to the owners of Sy Trecenti Global LLC, and is helping them with the project to turn it into viable retail space.
They purchased the property late last year for more than $62,000.
VIDEO: Property owners on the hook for city demolition costs after vacant building collapse
Now the pile of bricks, insulation and other debris may cost more to clean up than their initial investment in the property.
Due to safety concerns, Baltimore's Department of Housing and Community Development moved forward with an emergency demolition on Sunday.
The company is on the hook for the costs.
"That's how the business is, right? Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes things like this happen, an accident," Asress said.
He says they're still determined to keep the work going despite the recent setback.
"It's good for the city," he said. "For Baltimore, it's getting up there but slowly. It's getting better by the day. We do it for the community as well."
In January, DHCD cited the owners for failure to follow up on outstanding code violations from the previous owner, but records do not indicate any existing structural issues.
Asress told WMAR-2 News they had an architect on site last Wednesday.
In response to a 311 tip about trash and debris at the site that same day, a follow up inspection by the city that day indicated the front door was "open to casual entry" and a request was made to board it up.
It's unclear if that happened before the collapse.
