Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton This property, 128 Water St. in Warren, was deemed blighted by the city’s Blighted Property Review Committee on Thursday.

A prominent Water St. building in the City of Warren has been declared blighted.

128 Water St., site of the former Warren Players club and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, was designated as blighted by the city’s Blighted Property Review Committee on Thursday.

Director of Codes and Planning Randy Rossey said the structure has “various areas of blight” from the roof, windows that need to be replaced and failing eaves and soffits.

“We’ve been in contact with the current owner,” Rossey explained. “He was attempting to buy this property all last year.”

County assessment records show that the Warren Players bought the building in 1971 for $10,000 and sold it for $25,000 in 2003. It sold again last October for $40,000.

The latest owner, he said, had been in contact with the Codes Department but “since he has taken ownership, we have not had any contact with him.”

Rossey said the inside of the building is still full.

BPRC Chair Ray Pring said they had hoped that a change in ownership “would change things. (The property) falls directly within the parameters of what a blighted property is from my perspective.”

Committee member Doug Hearn acknowledged that the building as an emotional connection with people in the community.

“(We) need to make some movement,” he said. “I just think we need to put him on notice that something needs to be done.”

Pring noted that a blight declaration would not prohibit the owner from acting.

The property will be back before the committee for review in August.

The committee took an identical action against 206 N. Irvine St.

Rossey said the city had been in contact with the owner in 2021 and spring 2022 regarding property maintenance issues but the electricity has since been turned off.

“(We are) running into a situation,” he said. “(We) had dialogue going forward (that) has now since discontinued.”