The downtown event venue, The Ruins, has collapsed following the April 24 demolition of the historic E.F. Young Jr. Hotel next door. The collapse confirms a long-standing suspicion by city code enforcement staff that the venue was not structurally sound enough to stand on its own.

In a prepared statement Sunday, Community Development Director Craig Hitt said the south side of The Ruins, which shared a wall with the Young Hotel, had collapsed overnight Saturday or early Sunday morning, with debris falling into the venue and the empty space where the hotel once stood.

Concerns about the safety of The Ruins first came to light after the city code enforcement closed 25th Avenue between 5th and 6th streets out of concern the Young Hotel would collapse. James Copeland, who owns The Ruins, met with the City Council in May 2022 as the road closure had also forced his business to close.

In the discussions, city code enforcement officers said they were not sure if his property would be able to stand on its own when the Young Hotel was taken down. Although The Ruins was issued an occupancy permit in 2019, code enforcement officers said they did not believe the permit to be valid.

Even if the venue did stand, it would also need additional work to comply with the city’s building codes and be cleared to reopen for business.

After more than a year of inaction, the City Council in February voted to condemn The Ruins, clearing the way for the Young Hotel’s demolition. City Attorney Will Simmons told council members that while they cannot go back in time and re-do decisions made by prior city administrations, they can rule on the facts before them today.

In the case of The Ruins, Simmons said, the building was not up to code and potentially unsafe, and the council has the right to condemn buildings that do not meet the city’s codes.

Hitt said Sunday that the city has notified Copeland of the collapse and efforts are underway to address the situation.