Downtown building, owned by NYC firm, partially collapses
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - The center of 26 South Main Street is seen in ruins from a neighboring property on Dec. 16, 2023.
SHENANDOAH – The former Gerri’s Flowers building on South Main Street collapsed Saturday afternoon after years of neglect by a New York City firm.
Fire crews were called to the building at 26 South Main Street around 3pm after neighbors reported hearing a loud crash, followed by lights flickering.
A neighboring property owner gave the Sentinel access to their rear balcony to view the collapse damage, which decimated the entire center of the former flower shop.
The storefront had been in disrepair for years and was posted unfit for human inhabitation, as well as unsafe for human occupancy, in May.
In September, Mark Pronio, Shenandoah’s code enforcement officer, posted a notice of violation on the building.
The letter was addressed to Miriam Ospina Tobon, of 1067 Park Avenue, New York City — two blocks east of the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan.
Pronio said the building had become a “dangerous property,” in violation of borough code. Deterioration to the front facade led to debris falling into the sidewalk, and there had been deterioration and a partial collapse at the rear as well.
“The interior of the building has become rodent and insect infested and is posing a health hazard to surrounding properties and the public in general,” Pronio wrote.
The Schuylkill County Parcel Locator shows the property as being owned by Shenandoah Realty, LLC, of 119 W. 72nd Street, Manhattan, and has been owned by that company since 2017.
No injuries were reported in Saturday’s collapse and neighboring properties were not damaged, though firefighters warned neighbors they may hear more noises as debris settles.
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