The old Eagles Club building at 20 to 24 E. Washington St. is
falling in, and the Bradford City Board of Health voted Tuesday to
declare it a public nuisance to prepare it for demolition.

“I’m hoping it’s going to last until something can happen,” said
George Corignani, code enforcement officer.

“Is there any danger of something coming down on the sidewalk?”
asked Ross Neidich, president of the Board of Health.

“Not yet,” Corignani said. The rear of the building hangs over
the Tunungwant Creek and the front abuts the sidewalk along East
Washington Street.

The building is owned by Sugargrove Compressor Inc., in care of
Russell Russo of Bethlehem, explained special counsel Greg Henry.
The property is in the county tax repository.

“The roof has partially collapsed,” Corignani said. “The back of
it is rotted. Falling in the creek is imminent.”

He submitted to the board a series of photos taken to show the
condition of the building, saying the photos depict rotted floors,
cave-ins in the roof and serious structural damage.

“This is going to be an expensive property to take down,” Henry
said.

“Because of the creek and the road and the power lines?” asked
board member Tom Riel.

All of that and other considerations, Henry said. While the city
has a program in place which allows them to legally pursue
financial recompense for the public nuisance demolitions, Henry
said this one may prove to be more difficult.

“What is Sugargrove Compressors Inc.? What we’re going to find
here is difficult to know,” he said. Finding the proper someone to
find financially liable for the demolition, especially since the
property is in the tax repository, may be a complicated
process.

Corignani estimated the cost for demolishing the property to be
in the ballpark of $50,000, as the Department of Environmental
Protection will be involved because of the stream and because East
Washington Street will have to be closed when the building comes
down.

After the meeting, Neidich confirmed that the former Eagles
building was considered a contributing building in the city’s
Historic District. However, because it has sustained such severe
structural damage, it is not considered salvageable.

Within the city code, there is a provision which allows for the
demolition of a historic structure if it qualifies as a dangerous
building.

The Board of Health also voted to declare a second property a
public nuisance – a warehouse at 22 Colegrove Ave. that is owned by
the estate of Louis Verrelli.

“The building has been an eyesore for some time,” Corignani
said.

“The back part of the building faces the high school football
field. It’s deteriorated to the point where I think it’s going to
collapse,” he said, explaining the rear wall and foundation of the
building are in poor condition.

“The bad part about this building, it is filled from floor to
ceiling with junk,” he added.

The building flooded several years ago and mud still remains
throughout the structure, and animals are living inside the
building, Corignani said.

Henry said the person responsible for Verrelli’s estate is
Patricia Verrelli, who is executrix and trustee of a real estate
trust.

“Both of these properties come with some baggage,” Corignani
told the board. “That’s why it’s taken so long to come to you.”

The board will serve the orders regarding both properties and
will give the responsible parties time to respond. If the buildings
are not demolished or brought up to code in a set time period, they
will be demolished and the city will seek to recover the costs for
the demolition from the responsible people.