DETROIT (WWJ) -- There may yet be new life for a partially collapsed brick building near Detroit's Eastern Market.
The City of Detroit's Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department says the Del Bene building, at Russell and Winder Streets, has been deemed safe to enter, stabilize, assess and repair.
“We have reviewed and accepted it," said BSEED Director David Bell, in a statement released Friday.
"The owner has also agreed to a reasonable timeline to begin stabilization, apply for permits, and begin repairs. An agreement was made between both legal teams for the path forward with certain timelines and deliverables. The agreement is for the owner to stabilize the structure within 5 days, an application for repairs to be submitted within 30 days, and an assurance that repairs will begin within 7 days of approval. We also agree that the appeal hearing should be adjourned for now and we look forward to working with them to get this building back online as quickly as possible.”
Parts of the building's third and fourth floor walls collapsed last Saturday, forcing the city to condemn the 19th century building and order a demolition.
Friday's news is welcome by many in the neighborhood, including Jabs Gym owner Armond Harris, who saw his business collapse before of his eyes.
"A major portion of my life just crumbled in front of my eyes," Harris told WWJ's Ryan Marshall, earlier this week. "So, I've got a whole staff toe worry about; I've got a whole team to worry about. We're going to try to get some community support very soon."
The building is also home to Beyond Juicery and Eatery, and a Detroit Vs. Everybody store.
The cause of the collapse is still under investigation. One minor injury was reported.
It's not known when the building will be up and running again.