Continued: Click on the jpgs to enlarge
Max Upton and Mayor Jack Bradley
Part One : https://oheragain.wordpress.com/2021/11/29/letter-to-the-civil-service-commission-part-1/
The continuing story of St. Joseph’s Demolition
Acting Director of Building and Planning Max Upton St. Joseph’s Hospital demolition
Unfortunately, for Lorain and my deepening concern as to the capabilities of Mr. Upton we now come to the demolition of St. Joes Community Center, the old St. Joseph’s Hospital.
I would ask you to remember the City of Lorain and this edifice that was and has been a bone of contention since 1997 when South Shore Development took over the building with Federal monies.
“South Shore took ownership of the St. Joseph facility in 1997 after St. Joseph Hospital merged with Lorain Community Hospital to create Community Health Partners. An $800,000 federal grant was used to get the building ready for its new tenants. Additional grants and loans were secured. The state had $1.4 million in loans invested in the community center, while the county and the city each have $700,000 in loans tied to the center”.
75_4-11-16commmin%20(1)%20(2).pdf
I would also ask you to remember the history of how the hospital originally came into being due to the Devonian Sulphur Springs that are still bubbling away underneath that acreage
Lorain in Retrospect- JJ Meyers
was erected a large three story frame building designed as a sanitarium, in which with the liberal internal and external application of certain water oozing from a nearby spring, a cure for numberless ailments was proclaimed by the promoters.
The house was called the “Devonian Baths” and was built in 1887 over Sulphur springs discovered by accident by Gilbert Hogan, who had been drilling for natural gas.
Please Note once again the dates are very important in the following thoughts and documentation provided.
Time line begins in this instance on March 23rd 2020 and the reporting in the Chronicle Telegram of the sale of the property.
Mar 23, 2020 9:28 PM
Former St. Joseph Community Hospital complex sold for $150,000 | Chronicle Telegram
LORAIN — the defunct St. Joseph Community Center has sold.
South Shore Development Corp. LLC — whose sole remaining member is Jim Janasko of Janasko Insurance — finalized a deal with A7 Development Group LLC out of Massachusetts.
The 24-parcel property sold for $150,000, effective March 16. The Lorain County Auditor’s website lists the total assessed value of all parcels combined as at about $1.3 million.
I am still trying to confirm through various means just who it was that introduced A7 to Lorain.
Time line: St Joes.
March 23 2020
SOLD TO A7 Development Group LLC (with outstanding taxes, and utilities)
A7 Development Corp LLC by March
2020 had been in business for a little over 2 years and has one principle Salvatore Tecce A7 Development Company File No. 001 348859
Registered Address: 4 DENSEREAUX PLACE, MIDDLETON 01949 MA
SALVATORE TECCE (who is the company’s only principle. He is the agent, president, vice president, director, treasurer and secretary
Salvatore Tecce is also one of the two “principles for the demolition company hired by A7 Development (Group) Corp –“Earth Exchange” And please note the date of their registration.
EARTH EXCHANGE INC. has been set up 2/16/2021 in state MA. The current status of the business is Active. The EARTH EXCHANGE INC. principal address is 800 TURNPIKE ST STE 300, N ANDOVER, 01845. Meanwhile you can send your letters to 800 TURNPIKE ST STE 300, N ANDOVER, MA, 01845. The company`s registered agent is LEGALINC CORPORATE SERVICES INC. 5237 SUMMERLIN COMMONS STE 400, FT MYERS, FL, 33907. The company`s management are Director, Vice President – Tecce Salvatore, President, Secretary – Youkstetter Karl.
We know from various sources, media etc. EARTH EXCHANGE started taking down the building in JANUARY of 2021
OCTOBER 30TH 2020
The City of Lorain, Mayor Jack Bradley, Sanford Washington and Max Upton met with Dennis Dannenfelser of Earth Exchange, of the JANUARY 2021 REGISTRATION.
I HAVE TO WONDER DID WASHINGTON, BRADLEY AND UPTON ACTUALLY DEAL WITH A REGISTERED COMPANY AT ALL.
The Chronicle Telegram had in its reporting re the lack of permits is quoted
All Star Dismantling LLC, out of New Jersey, lists performing the demolition on its website, including drone video footage of some of the work on its website.”
Curiously, ALL STAR DISMANTLING LLC wasn’t a registered company either until APRIL 14-2021 Company Name:
ALL STAR DISMANTLING LLC
Entity Type: DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
File Number: 450635311
Filing State: New Jersey (NJ)
Filing Status: Active
Filing Date: April 14, 2021
Company Age: 7 Months
Registered Agent: Dennis Dannenfelser JR
1249 Oakland Ave
Union, NJ 07083
However without benefit of our Law Department a letter was sent out on October 30th 2020 to Dennis Dannenfelser highlighting the fact , Mr. Max Upton would be the City of Lorain MAIN Contact person
The Letter of Agreement?
October 30th 2020 Mayor Jack Bradley, Safety Service Director Washing , Director of Building Planning and Housing and I am told by Law Dept. they were not part of the “agreement” meeting and I can find no record of our Law Department even initialing such an agreement.
I use the wording “agreement “because that is the wording used by Mayor Bradley in his statement to the media “
There was an agreement that the developer would pull permits one structure at a time, Mayor Jack Bradley said, with plans to level everything but the parking garage.
How do you enter into an agreement with companies that aren’t companies until AFTER the demolition started?
WHERE WAS THE DUE DILLIGENCE BY BUILDING Housing and Planning Director Upton TO MAKE SURE ALL THE I’S WERE DOTTED AND T’s CROSSED?
Upton is mentioned in the letter from Safety Service Director Washington as the main contact person for the city therefore, it would have been his JOB OF WORK to follow through.
Former St. Joseph Community Center demo on hold after developer fails to pull permits | Chronicle Telegram May 7th 2021
The article in the Chronicle Telegram mentioned the lack of permits applied for by the developer However Upton did issue two permits again those dates and to WHOM they were given – NOT to Earth Exchange, Not to All Star Dismantling LLC not even to A7 Development but TO South Shore Development the PREVIOUS OWNER of the buildings and land.
The first permit DATED MAY 20th 2020 was to South Shore Development nearly three months AFTER the site was SOLD to A7 and work to be carried out by Earth Exchange. (Note the date this was before the October 30th letter of agreement)
I would also draw your attention to the sloppy work from Building Housing a Planning Chief Inspector at the time . Richard Klinar. The application from Earth Exchange. Please NOTE – there is NO DATE on the application.
IF the date and the wrong Company was given permission “. South Shore Community Development Corp” etc was incorrectly added at the time, supposedly due to software issues, then that too is down to Upton as he didn’t do due diligence before sending out the permit.
We now come to the 2nd Permit by Max Upton , please note the date on this permit and also to which company it was issued OCTOBER 30TH 2020 THE DATE OF THE MEETING BUT ONCE AGAIN TO South Shore Development Corp WORK TO BE DONE BY Earth Exchange .
This is just another example of lack of due diligence.by Mr. Max Upton and his department.
We now have the site at the former St Josephs’ Hospital nothing but a pile of rubble and the blame is being laid at the Developer and the City of Lorain is looking for redress. The site is going to have to be cleaned up, litigation is looming.
Photo: Chronicle Telegram Kristen Bauer https://chroniclet.com/news/260993/former-st-joseph-community-center-demo-on-hold-after-developer-fails-to-pull-permits/
I am not an attorney , I know nothing about LLC’s, Corporations and their respective responsibilities but I do know before entering into any business partnership, agreement, giving permission especially with and edifice the size of a whole city block involving the City of Lorain “all paperwork should be checked and at least initialed by our Law Dept.” In this particular case since there were concerns of possible toxicity leaching to the ground water through the basements, the EPA should have been included as a safe guard on any such agreement. That is only common sense, which apparently was also lacking
Note I can find nothing that states Lorain City Council Building and Lands Committee , Council At Large as the Chair of that committee was ever informed of the “agreement” with these “developers” or “demolition experts”
ON APRIL 24TH MRS, SPRINGOWSKI SENT MR UPTON AN EMAIL WITH REGARD TO THE DEMOLITON OF ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL : AGAIN PLEASE NOTE THE DATES:
From: Springowski, Mary
Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2021 6:17 PM
To: Upton, Max
Subject: Old St.Joseph Hospital
Did the demolition company bury the concrete from demolishing the old hospital?
Someone asked me and I said I had no idea. Is that permissible, to bury the debris?
Mary Springowski
Lorain City Council at Large
MR UPTON ANSWERED MRS. SPRINGOWSKI AND I WOULD DRAW YOUR ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN TO THE DATE
AND WHAT MR. UPTON DIRECTOR OF BUILDING HOUSING AN PLANNING STATED ON APRIL 26TH 2021
From: “Upton, Max” <Max_Upton@cityoflorain.org>
Date: 4/26/21 1:22 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: “Springowski, Mary” <Mary_springowski@cityoflorain.org>
Subject: RE: Old St. Joseph Hospital
To my knowledge they have not. We are working to make sure the comply with our ordinances.
From: “Springowski, Mary” <Mary_springowski@cityoflorain.org>
Date: 4/26/21 1:32 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: “Upton, Max” <Max_Upton@cityoflorain.org>Subject: RE: Old St.Joseph Hospital
“Neighbors are saying otherwise.”
Well that is interesting because either Mr. Upton apparently had no clue as to what was happening a few blocks from Lorain City Hall and his offices, albeit the demolition had been ongoing for months, covered with drone footage , blogs the media as the walls came tumbling down , scrap taken away by the truck load, fences going up.
Did Mr. Upton not have departmental meetings discuss with his department and in those meetings did he not say ( considering he had a tentative demo schedule,) AS OF NOVEMBER 2ND 2020 3 days after the meeting with Dennis Dannenfelser
Have Permits been pulled, where are we on inspections, have the environmental licenses been pulled, is there any toxicity on the site the City of Lorain should know about?
This was a huge undertaking and certainly one would think the checks and balances SHOULD have been in place. Apparently not? More lack of not only follow through by the Dept. Head Upton , and certainly the due diligence was nonexistent!
Mr. Upton had replied to Mrs. Springowski ‘s question
“ Did the demolition company bury the concrete from demolishing the old hospital?
Someone asked me and I said I had no idea. Is that permissible, to bury the debris?
To my knowledge they have not. We are working to make sure the comply with our ordinances.
Mr Upton apparently lied to Mrs Springowki in that email dated APRIL 26TH 2021 because 27 days ( almost a month earlier ) Richard Klinar the Chief Building Inspector slapped a stop work order on the site for the very issue Mrs. Springowski was questioning.
MARCH 30 2021 HIS CHIEF BUILDING INSPECTOR SLAPPED THE SITE WITH A STOP WORK ORDER AS THE THE DEBRIS WAS IN THE BASEMENT AND THEY NEED PERMITS.
CAN YOU, AS A IN ALL HONESTY CONCLUDE THAT MAX UPTON WAS UNAWARE A MONTH LATER THIS HAD HAPPENED .
Either he lied to the Chair of Building and Lands, Councilwoman at Large ( who represents ALL of the citizens of Lorain . Or he was apparently not capable of follow through and being the “go to guy”. Either way he should not be heading the Building Housing and Planning Dept.
To my knowledge they have not. We are working to make sure the comply with our ordinances. And Yet the Stop Work order speaks for itself !
to be continued:
OH Her Again! 
Pingback: Letter to Lorain Civil Service Commission Pt 3 | OH Her Again!