Building restoration work slowed down by burglars

It’s not like the Agee family hasn’t had enough obstacles to overcome since a fire gutted their apartment building. Now, two months after the Lloyd was heavily damaged, the Agees feel as if they have been burned twice.

Since the Aug. 12 three-alarm fire, Mark Agee, his son Bryan Agee, son-in-law Jeremy Decker and a small crew have been restoring the building, which housed 28 apartments, the Hi-Neighbor Tavern, Ron Bledsoe’s Karate Academy and three other commercial spots.

Spokane police spokesman Dick Cottam said Mark Agee, 48, called police Monday to report a weekend burglary at the three-story building at North Monroe Street and West Mansfield Avenue. Taken were approximately $1,000 worth of tools. Cottam said Mark Agee told police the suspects entered through a broken window, forced open a door and carted off power drills, saws, battery packs and drill kits in a large wheelbarrow.

“More than anything, it’s frustrating,” said Bryan Agee, 23, who works at the site almost every day. “The biggest thing is lost time … going out and buying new tools.”

Mark Agee of Ten Talents LLC bought the neglected building about 18 months ago. It dates back to 1911 and has approximately 34,000 square feet of livable space. The elder Agee’s crew is restoring the building that was mostly rented by low-income people.

But things had been changing. Bryan Agee and his wife, Alyssa, had moved into spacious, refurbished apartments in the Lloyd. His sister Brenda Decker and brother-in-law were living in a similar apartment. Bryan Agee said that the day before the fire, one of the last “riff-raff” tenants had been evicted.

The fire was started in a third-floor kitchen and investigators ruled it accidental. Bryan Agee said the tenants weren’t home. No one was injured but 28 people, including nine children, were left homeless.

Bryan Agee said many of the tenants already have told him they want to move back when the restoration is finished. However, the date of completion is unknown. Bryan Agee, who has refurbished homes for a living, and the workers still are in the filthy cleanup stage.

Although the Agees are determined to save the historic elements of the building, walls had to be knocked down and oak floors are being stripped to the subfloors. The building has about 160 windows; many of the same panes will be reinstalled.

Claw-foot bathtubs – which the Agees plan to refinish and sell – occupy bare rooms. Salvageable appliances are stored in the Deckers’ apartment. Unsalvageable appliances will be hauled to the dump with tons and tons of other debris. Although Alyssa and Bryan Agee’s extensive book collection was lost, their upright piano is being saved, despite its sorry state.

The goal is to get a roof on the third floor by winter. After that, Bryan Agee said, it’s on to fixing the commercial spaces, he hopes by late winter. He’s heard from the Hi-Neighbor Tavern owner, who said he’s planning to move back in.

Bryan Agee estimates the damage at $1.2 million. He thinks it’ll cost about $2 million to restore and update the building.

Agee said that the recent theft wasn’t the first time intruders have made themselves at home since the fire, although it was the biggest monetary loss. Copper wiring is routinely stolen and presumably sold to recyclers.

After the weekend theft, more money is being spent on protection. This week, workers have boarded up first-floor windows. Tools now are being stored in a pricey Jobox.

“It’s a big expense,” Bryan Agee said of the project, “But when we’re finished, we’ll have a good building to show.”