TWIN FALLS, Idaho — An old clinic building in downtown Twin Falls, which has sat empty for the past decade, is set to be demolished after the city council declared it a public nuisance. The decision follows concerns over safety from local residents and officials regarding the abandoned structure as a site of frequent trespass and illegal activity.
“I think the big thing for us is just making sure that this area is safe for all of Twin Falls,” said Angela Hild, showing me where a fence had been flattened — a main entrance for trespassers.
Hild has been principal at St. Edward’s Catholic School, since 2015. Located next door to the old clinic, Hild and her staff monitor the site for potential hazards.
“There have been a few times I've noticed people trying to get in and I will just yell at them 'That building is condemned and you are trespassing,' and they immediately will back [off] and go away,” Hild said.
The clinic was once a thriving medical facility. “It was great back then. A lot of doctors and nurses and just a wonderful place to be,” said Ann Braga, who opened her store, Ann's Eyewear Boutique across the street in 1988. “It sat vacant for a while, and then people bought it and didn't do anything with it," Braga said. "I'm just thrilled that it's going to be demolished."
The Twin Falls City Council voted on Monday to recognize the property as a public nuisance and a threat to public safety, ordering its demolition at the owner’s expense.
The building has no fire suppression system left, and many of the walls have been smashed, and there is abundant debris in the stairways. All of these hazards increase the risk of a structure fire, said Captain Mitchell Brooks of the Twin Falls Fire Department, who told the council in the event of a fire the department would focus on protecting neighboring structures.
“This is not a building that I feel comfortable putting our ops people inside," Brooks told the council. "I've actually sent out a memo to our team to not enter, unless they absolutely know someone is in there.”
The property is owned by an LLC connected to Galena Opportunity Fund, known for its recent work on the 5-story 160 Main building in downtown Twin Falls. The city has attempted to contact Galena on three occasions via certified mail, but has received no response.
As per Idaho law, the city has the authority to order the building demolished, with the estimated cost ranging from $450,000 to $600,000 to be placed as a lien against the property.
“We are going to temporarily possess the building. We're going to go through the process to remove the building and we're going to fill in whatever hole is there," City Manager Travis Rothweiler said as he outlined the course of action should Galena remain silent after 30 days. "All of the bills that we've captured, just like all the bills that we've paid to secure the property, to put in the fences to board the windows, those are going to be all [points] of lien placed up upon the property.”
