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

A noteworthy Water Street property in Warren has been declared blighted for a second time.

The site — 128 Water St., the former Warren Players club and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church — was designated as blighted by the city’s Blighted Property Review Committee for a required second time.

Zoning and Ordinance Enforcement Official Scott Taylor said the property has been on the city’s radar since 2016.

Taylor explained that the property had been under the control of a deceased individual’s daughter but since sold. He said the city had been in communication with the new owner but “we have not heard from him since he has taken ownership of the property.”

He then rattled through the litany of problems present with this property — utilities, broken windows, missing singles.

“We got reports that people, and not necessarily kids, had been in and out of the building possibly staying there,” he said.

Some steps were taken to limit access — access to a broken window was cut off and the door was screwed shut but Taylor said there’s evidence of a window now broken from the inside of the structure.

He told the committee that the new owner wasn’t certain about future plans for the building but had considered apartments. As a church and a theater, though, leveling off the scoped floors would be “one of the big hurdles.”

Taylor said the city has been discussing boarding up the first floor windows in light of the issues.

With no contact since last September with the new owner, the committee unanimously approved the second declaration of blight.

“It’s unfortunate,” Chairman Ray Pring said. “It’s a beautiful building.”

“It could be,” Taylor said.