Altoona City officials have given the owner of the former Russo Demolition Building one week to demolish part of the structure so that 31^st Street can be reopened.
 
Planning Director Lee Slusser says business owners in the area have been complaining about the lack of customer access to their properties. The roadway has been closed since the beginning of the month, when a suspicious fire damaged the building, causing parts of two walls and the parapet to loosen. 
 
Slusser says the structure is owned by Napoli Recycling of New York. He says the city has been working with representatives of the owner to get part of the building razed. The owner is attempting to determine if the building can be salvaged.
 
Slusser says if the necessary steps aren’t taken to make the building safe, the city will hire a contractor to do the work. A lien would then be placed on the property.