Burned-out building at Market and Michigan to be demolished

Property has attracted criminal activity, squatters, drug activity for months

By Dan Hammock • July 3, 2017 7:00 pm
BY DAN HAMMOCK | THE DAILY WORLD The top floor of the burned-out building at 518 W. Market St. in Aberdeen has had so much criminal activity in it in the months since it burned neighboring property owners claim to be in fear for their lives. The building will be torn down later this month.
BY DAN HAMMOCK | THE DAILY WORLD The top floor of the burned-out building at 518 W. Market St. in Aberdeen has had so much criminal activity in it in the months since it burned neighboring property owners claim to be in fear for their lives. The building will be torn down later this month.

The burned-out building at the corner of Market and Michigan streets in Aberdeen is finally going to be torn down.

“I am hopeful that in the next 20 days the building will come down and there will be a gravel lot there the city will own,” said Aberdeen Mayor Erik Larson at last week’s City Council meeting after the owner of a neighboring property spoke about the property at 518, 518½ and 522 W. Market St. during the public comment session.

The resident called the property at 518 W. Market St. “a shooting gallery” for drug users and said he and his family and other neighboring residents are in constant fear for their safety with the steady stream of transients coming in and out of the building and the large amount of drug and other criminal activity that goes on there.

Aberdeen Police Chief Bob Torgerson said his officers have spent a great deal of time answering complaints coming from the property since it burned in February of last year. Despite making quite a few arrests.

“You arrest some and others come and take their place,” said Larson.

Larson said the months-long process for the city to buy the property is in its last stages and he expects demolition to occur before the end of July.