Raymundos trying to sell collapsed building

    For nearly three years, something has been missing from the 200 block of South Marion Avenue. On the west side of the street sits a large abandoned building conspicuous for lacking a roof. With its interior walls now missing, pedestrians are able to peer through the large exterior window and view the insides of what were once living quarters on the second floor.

    The building was supposed to house an addition to the convenience store ?La Cruz.? That was what owners Alfonso and Julia Raymundo had in mind when they moved forward with expansion plans in October 2006. At that time, the Raymundos ran their store out of 207 S. Marion Ave., but wanted more space for their merchandise and foodstuffs.    

    The Raymundos contracted Apex Construction from Iowa City to expand their store into the southern, adjacent section of the building numbered 209. They planned to knock out the wall that divided the two sections of the building. Before proceeding, the Raymundos consulted with the structural engineering firm VSP Engineering out of Coralville. VSP Engineering approved the plan, which allowed the Raymundos to obtain a building permit for the expansion.

    Construction on the building began that fall but came to a screeching halt on Oct. 20, 2006. That day, in the middle of the afternoon, the second floor of the building collapsed. No one was seriously injured, including a tenant in an upstairs apartment who was asleep at the time of the collapse.

    The ceiling?s collapse left the building in ruins. The city hired Apex Construction, the very company performing the construction, to remove debris from the site.

    Following a lawsuit against Apex Construction and VSP Engineering, the Raymundos were awarded a judgment of $235,000. One-third of the judgment (roughly $78,000) went to pay the attorney fees of Robert Schlegel of the law firm Day, Meeker, Lamping, Schlegel and Salazar.

    The Raymundos were required to pay the city $89,000 in cleanup costs. They owed Washington State Bank $46,000. When all was said and done, the Raymundos were left with $5,700 from the initial judgment.     

    After the collapse, the Raymundos sought another location for their business. They found a place to rent in the 100 block of West Second Street where they run their store today.

For the full story,  see the Oct. 12 edition of The Washington Evening Journal