Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton City of Warren Redevelopment Authority member Doug Hearn speaks during a discussion about the future of the Brick House during Wednesday’s meetings.

The City of Warren Redevelopment Authority has agreed to loan up to $275,000 to a downtown developer aimed at preserving the former Brick House building on Liberty St.

Tom Christenson, whose DewBoi Properties firm has proposed the Wendelboe Hotel, an 18 room boutique hotel in the former Watt Office Building, approached the RDA about the building, located at 219 Liberty St., at Wednesday’s meeting.

He said he’s coming to the RDA for financing and asked what the RDA could offer to “help me get that building back in shape.”

He said the hotel project is “moving forward” but said it is a “big problem” with the Brick House “sitting next to me.”

Randy Rossey, the city’s director of codes and planning, told the RDA that it has $301,733 in a revolving loan fund. It has, however, been sometime since the RDA made an award.

Christenson proposed to demolish a portion of the back of the building that has a large hole in the roof and “leave it open for a build out in the future.” He said an estimate to get the building that far was $675,000 and he told the RDA his company would be putting in some of its own funding as well as seeking other grants.

“It’s savable,” he said. “The amount of the loan would be as much as possible.”

He told the RDA that 75 percent of the building can be saved. “The original building seems pretty solid,” he siad. But a back portion has a 20 foot hole in the roof and “is completely not salvageable.”

Rossey asked the RDA to provide direction on whether they want to move ahead with preparing the loan documents, which would be brought to the March meeting for consideration.

Authority member Doug Hearn asked what the firm plans to do with the building.

Christenson said the building would add rooms to the hotel as well as allow expansion of the size of the hotel rooms.

“I foresee it being part of the hotel,” he said. “There’s a lot of possibilities but that’s really the ultimate goal.”

Michael Boyd, RDA chair, said he would never like taking an account own to $0 so proposed a loan range between $250,000 and $275,000.

Authority member Holly LeMeur said there has been talk about this “eyesore in the town for years and years. It seems to be the talking point of the rot basically on this block.

“We have someone willing to make it part of a project that is very hopeful.”

The terms are yet to be finalized but the RDA approved a motion allocating up to $275,000 to the project.

The property is currently owned by an LLC out of Chester, Pa. and is in the county repository.

FIFTH AVE. PROPERTY ACQUIRED

The RDA also agreed to submit a bid to purchase a second property out of the county repository. This one is located at 708 W. Fifth Ave.

It’s anticipated that this property will be demolished by city staff once acquired.