El Patio, other properties added to Lorain demolition list

LORAIN — El Patio is coming down soon, according to building officials. The Lorain Demolition Board of Appeals added the former Mexican restaurant to its demolition list Thursday morning. During the meeting, Building, Housing and Planning director Kellie Glenn said the vacant property should be down sometime in January or February. Similar to the former Stoveworks site, the city plans to use Community Development Block Grant funding for the demolition. Information on the city's website lists an approximate cost for the demolition of $70,000, but official bids will be sought by the department. The former restaurant has been a longstanding point of contention on the city's south side, considered an eyesore as it sat vacant for years. Close to $57,500 in taxes are owed on the property. Building Inspector Greg Landry gave presentations on the buildings brought before the board, including El Patio Mexican Restaurant at 2933 Grove Ave. He said the roof above the front door is coming down and there is evidence of overgrowth and dumping throughout the property, as well as debris and mold. A chicken coop was inside when inspectors first walked in, and sections of the roof had caved in. Built in 1905, the property was originally a grocery store and meat market until 1942. It has been known as El Patio since 1992. The property caught fire in 2011 while rooms in it were being rented to veterans. The fire department stated there were numerous fire code violations at that time. Parkview Motel, other properties Waiting for a zoning change, the Parkview Motel, 4851 W Erie Ave., could find new life as an Indian wedding venue, Bindaya Mandaps, according to its property owners. Attorney Brent English gave a brief outline of the plans for the property, which like the other motels along West Erie Avenue, had come before the Demolition Board of Appeals before. English said they have applied for a zoning change for part of the property, as a portion of it is considered B-1 and another section is R-3. The owners want to rezone the entire property to B-1. Since stalling in 2016, Landry and Fire Marshal Greg Neal agreed work had been done to the property to fix the list of issues the city cited with it. The board can not more forward either way until the zoning changes. A number of residential properties were put on the demolition list, including the house on Elyria Avenue where a woman was found frozen last winter. The body of a 60-year-old homeless woman was found at 2133 Elyria Ave. Jan. 30 by Housing Inspector Chris Yates. The woman had been squatting in the abandoned home for months and died of hypothermia. Landry's notes on the property include there was damage to the roof and a hole into the basement — both contributing to a very "wet" and moldy property. More than $5,800 in taxes are owed on the property. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.