SANDPOINT — As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the building housing two long-time downtown businesses closed to the public. At 5:01 p.m., a chainlink fence went up around the building blocking access after the city closed the structure due to safety concerns.

Neither Arlo's Ristorante nor Blue Lizard Indian Art, however, plans to let the closure deter them from serving the Sandpoint community.

"Everybody is devastated ... but we are going to relocate," said Jackey Doty, Blue Lizard manager. "Blue Lizard is just going to get bigger and stronger and better yet."

Doty said they will keep the community informed on where they end up relocating to. The Blue Lizard has occupied the building for 10 years. Arlo's owner Jesse Guscott, whose parents started the Italian restaurant, said he plans to relocate as well and is currently scoping out a couple of spots in town.

"We would have turned 18 this fall down here, and we think we can definitely survive a move," he said. 

The city issued a notice and order to vacate the building at 330 N. First Ave. on Aug. 24, effective as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. The temporary fencing and signage went up at 5:01 p.m. Arlo’s and the Blue Lizard lease the spaces in the building and City Administrator said they have until 5 p.m. Sept. 30 to vacate the premises, though the public is no longer allowed in the building or plaza area.

The notice and order requires the building owners to address the safety concerns and bring the building into compliance with building code or demolish the building, according to a statement from city officials.

Based on two recent property inspections, the decision to vacate the building was made by the city’s building official, public works director and engineer in coordination with the current building owners and buyer. The first inspection occurred on Aug. 3, when publicly accessible exterior portions of the building were reviewed. The inspection report was provided to the building owners on Aug. 9 during a meeting with city staff. The second inspection included the foundations made accessible by the property owners. This inspection resulted in the decision by city officials to order the vacation.

The property is under a sales contract with a buyer who is reviewing the inspection results to determine whether repairs can be completed to the existing structure, which would allow it to be reopened to the public at a future date, according to city officials. This work would need to be completed under the oversight of a structural engineer who must also certify that the structure is brought up to meet current building code and is safe. Any repairs will require a building permit and a certificate of occupancy issued by the city building official before the public will be allowed to re-enter.

"The city fully recognizes the history of this property and we sympathize with the challenges this entire situation places on the businesses and building owners," Sandpoint Public Works Director Amanda Wilson said in the statement. "That said, we also have an obligation to protect the public."

The property does in fact have a long history in Sandpoint. The plaza in front of the building was the location of the Sandpoint Christmas Tree lighting, concerts and other public events before Jeff Jones Town Square was constructed and opened in 2005. It is also the former location of a gas station and other retail owned by Dave Dalby.

Three underground storage tanks for the station were filled with sand and water in 1988 in compliance with federal requirements to mitigate environmental concerns. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will be locating the tanks and sampling around them to determine if further action is necessary. According to the statement, the city supports DEQ’s efforts to pursue funding for whatever remediation might be necessary.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.