TOP STORY OF THE DAY - A historic downtown building will stand another day

HAYLEY COOPER PHOTO - 18 E. National Avenue, previously the G.C. Murphy building, was listed as an unsafe building with the potential of being demolished.

During a recent Board of Public Works and Safety meeting at City Hall, Brazil Fire Chief Jake Bennett spoke about the 2024 fire hose testing agreement.

"This is an annual test our fire hose undergoes, supply line, attack line. It's an NFPA requirement, and ISO also reviews our post-testing records," explained Chief Bennett.

The total cost for the testing is estimated to be between $3,800 and $4,200, which is in the Fire Department's budget.

The Board of Works approved the testing and authorized Bennett to sign the contract.

Next, parks requested a resolution declaring real property as surplus.

The steel structure that was once the zoo building at Craig Park will be auctioned and sold. The 62-foot by 225-foot building used to house salt and sand for the Street Department. The materials are now kept at a permanent structure on Depot Street.

"It puts us in a position where we can get rid of it," explained Mayor Brian Wyndham. "It's in disrepair, and hopefully, somebody will buy it just to scrap it."

The board passed the resolution.

Under planning and zoning, a building with a long-standing history in Brazil was considered unsafe—18 E. National Avenue, previously G.C. Murphy.

"Last year, the windows were broken, and there was a lot of odor coming from the building. That's what started all of this. I got phone calls and phones calls, "When you walk by, it is bad." That's a public safety hazard. We also get complaints on the roof; it's being collapsed in," described Planning and Zoning Administrator Janet McClellan.

The building inspector did look over the building and has created a list of recommendations for repairs. The building is sound, but the aesthetics require a lot of work. As the old G.C. Murphy building and The Bounty share a wall, the fear is if it is demolished, The Bounty will come down with it.

"There are unsafe buildings and houses all over Brazil, more than we can tackle at times. We don't go out and look for those situations, but when we start getting complaints, we have to address them," said Wyndham. "Let's see if we can start knocking things off this list and get it into a compliant situation."

There was confusion regarding who owned the building and who the caretaker responsible for it was. The owner, present at the meeting, agreed to start addressing issues.

"We've got a good grant writer. It is a process; probably, if you start this year, it won't happen until the following year," said Wyndham, stating the city would help. "It's only a problem if you can't fix it."

Although a significant landmark of Brazil, the building might not be listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, meaning the building could not receive historic grants.

In other business

• The cleanup at 406 N. Beech Street was approved.

• The raw water main at U.S. 40 pay application number 8 to Van Hoy of $16,844.08 was approved.

• The Water Department's Dennis Lovett and Owen Hunsicker were added to the phone stipend.

• The CZGS Engagement Agreements were approved.

• The clerk's and utilities' office claims were approved.