City: unauthorized work led to Carolina Lane building collapse

Posted on by David Forbes

15 Carolina Lane, after yesterday’s collapse. Photo from the Asheville Fire Department

The work that caused the collapse of 15 Carolina Lane Thursday afternoon was never authorized by the city of Asheville. The Building Safety department is currently investigating the incident.

“There was no permit for no work whatsoever,” Building Safety Director Robert Griffin tells Xpress. “Any work that was going on, by the owner, contractor, or anyone else, was not authorized.”

Bouchon French Bistro, who lease the space, applied for a permit last September for work by contractor Mountain Brook Homes, including the installation of a canopy overlooking the adjoining courtyard, but that permit was never approved. The property is owned by Dawn Lantzius and managed by Leslie and Associates, who sent construction crews out overnight to clean up the collapse’s debris and allow area businesses to reopen. Company President Tom Leslie told Xpress yesterday that Bouchon planned to use the spot for a catering and event space.

However, Griffin notes that “we don’t know who was authorizing the work, but we know there was a licensed general contractor doing work in the building.”

Preliminary investigations attribute the collapse to the removal of a load-bearing wall on the inside of the building, Griffin says. The city is looking into everyone involved with the work, and will turn over the results of its investigation to the state licensing board for general contractors.

“The general statutes and the building code are very explicit: if you’re going to touch a commercial building you must have a permit,” he emphasizes.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

3 thoughts on “City: unauthorized work led to Carolina Lane building collapse”

  1. Dionysis

    “The property is owned by Dawn Lantzius and managed by Leslie and Associates…”

    I suspect the owner and property manager are scrambling to find good legal counsel, as they will probably need it and soon.

  2. F. Loyd Wright

    I believe that NC has the worst contractor laws in the United States and as a result some of the worst building practices.
    Try to find justice in this state when you have been cheated by a contractor-it can’t be done. If you are a contractor and this comment offends you then you should get some real standards for your profession. Owners don’t always know how to remodel safely, but their contractors should.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.