What about the insurance? They guy did have insurance din't he? If you owe money on the property or not I believe a person must have insurance.

As usual, we are given parts of the story and left to speculate on the rest (insurance, etc.).

It'll be great. They can turn it into some other attraction for the undesirables already rampent in the area.

they had a excavator there why didn't they just let the fire guys detrime what the cause of the fire was [if it was arson or not] and let him finish the tear down. Now there will be a study done to figure out the best way to tear it down [cost another pile of money] that the owner proably dosn't have if he was in tax arrears. Still have not heard who is paying the first engineer.

downnotout: they have already determined what the cause of the fire was. If the owner does nothing, then the city is the owner then the clean up bill goes to the city...or we the taxpayers have to foot the bill....I hope the insurance company declines to pay out the owner for keeping the place in such poor condition all these years...If the owner didnt bother to pay the back taxes do you actually think he'll spring for the cleanup?? Holy roach!

Why did the city allow the owners to get so far behind with their taxes without taking any action?
If it were any other ordinary citizen we would have had the bailiffs knocking on our door long ago.

Utter BS

Well, it appears that he would like not have insurance or be under insured. if he is behind on taxes. The building was in such disrepair no electrician in his right mind did any work in there.

it appears that the owners are grasping for anything. The engineers deems it unsafe, than it is unsafe. tear it down, before it collapses on someone and hurt or kill more people.

If the city is going to end up with it, work with the insurance company, tear it down level it, clean up the site, pay the back taxes and give whats left to the owner. The city should not profit from it nor loose money on it.

It sounds like alot of you stayed there, as you seem to know so much about it's condition!! Most of your negative comments are rubish!! You don't know all the facts!! You assume alot, not knowing anything!! You base your oppinions on hear say!! Somebody told you it is a biker bar, and that was it, it has to be a run down hole!! Give me a break!!

I had, on occasion, stopped in for a cool one or many!! The waitress's and staff ( sorry Linda, about your loss) were always pleasant, the service was good, and the washrooms were clean!! The Astoria on the other hand, well, we won't go there, at least not until it..... no, that won't happen will it. That would be twice, the first was on George St. in the 70's if I remember rightly, burned to the ground. The vacant lot is still there, right beside Franco's

I have been in the "bus" a few times way back in the day - those washrooms were disgusting! So taxinapothole, unless they did some major clean up I would hate to see what you call a dirty bathroom. sure the place was a fun place, people surprisingly friendly, peelers often homely, but it was a "hole", nothing nice about the place back in the 90's except the nice staff and laid back atmosphere - esthically, it was hideous and dirty.
I hope the city bulldozes it and maybe puts somehting that will not attract homeless etc to that part of downtown - the city needs to somehow have a place that isn't scummy - that's my opinion.

U are right robichal. I've had to go through the Bus (upstairs and down) on many an occasion and its always been filthy.. especially the bar's bathrooms..it would give you the chills having to walk into those.

If our city should become the owners of the burned Columbus Hotel, they might build another Homeless Shelter on the site as we have so many Homeless arriving here. In the Free Press the picture of the lady sleeping in a door way with her blanket and a nice suit case, must have came from another place to bad they did not ask??We are rolling out the red carpet for the Homeless.

If the city puts a homeless shelter there they are bigger idiots than I could have imagined - what a terrible place for a homeless shelter. There is obviously zero quality control for city planning here. But...whatever...nothing will surprise me when it comes to PG anymore!