Business owners who are trying to make repairs to their properties have been in limbo for two years since a devastating fire at a vacant business next door.In August 2023, a three-alarm fire heavily damaged a vacant business at 3535 Belair Road in Belair-Edison, as well as the neighboring structures.Butch and Zelda Holmes and Andre Lewis, the owners of the neighboring properties, told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that they can’t make repairs — two years later — because of damage at the vacant business.”After the fire, there was a lot of damage to our building. We had a lot of water damage. We had a lot of smoke damage,” Zelda Holmes told WBAL-TV 11 News investigates.The Holmeses told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that they have since spent more than $21,000 on repairs thus far.The front of the vacant building might not appear so bad, but an aerial view from SKY 11 shows most of the roof caved in, as well as extensive damage to two floors. From the back, there’s a broken window and open doors that reveal the fire’s destruction.Among the hazards, the neighboring business owners told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that children and adults climb the fire escape steps and get on what is left of the roof of the vacant building.”They could possibly hurt themselves. Somebody could fall straight through the roof,” Butch Holmes told WBAL-TV 11 News investigates.Part 1 video below: Residents concerned over proliferation of fire-prone vacant propertiesThe Holmeses requested an emergency demolition of the vacant property.”This building is causing problems,” Butch Holmes told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates. “I want the city to knock this building down so I can help my community. Take it down so I can help my community.”But they didn’t get the answer for which they hoped.”(The city said) it did not qualify and that the protocol was going to be followed, and I haven’t heard anything since,” Zelda Holmes told WBAL-TV 11 News investigates.’Mr. Lewis can’t do anything … until they knock this building down’Lewis owns the PTL Christian Fellowship Center on the opposite side of the vacant property. He told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that he can’t make repairs because of a heavily damaged wall that’s shared with the vacant property.Lewis obtained a structural engineer’s assessment that quotes Baltimore City building code, stating: “Shared elements (party walls) must be repaired and finished by the owner of the demolished or damaged structure.””I pay $800 for a 10-page report,” Lewis said. “(I) can’t do anything with this building until they knock (the vacant) building down.”Then, Lewis received a vacant building notice shortly after the fire, as well as two failure-to-abate citations.”Is this ludicrous?” Lewis said.He received the notices despite showing the city the repair assessment he received. So, he requested a hearing with the Baltimore City Environmental Control Board. Four days before the scheduled hearing in October, it was canceled and the citations were abated.”I want to open (the property) because I want to give back to the community, that’s the main thing. When I can’t do that, it stresses me,” Lewis told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.City files receivership action against vacant property’s ownersThe Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development sent a statement to WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates about the burned-out building, saying: “The city has filed a receivership action against the owners to have them rehab the property or a receiver will be appointed to auction the property to a qualified buyer that can rehab the building.”The vacant property is owned by 2000 Neptune, a limited liability company based in Los Angeles. In May, the city filed a petition to have a vacant building receiver appointed. The petition indicates a vacant building violation notice was issued in January 2022 — more than a year before the fire, calling the property “unsafe and unfit for human habitation.” An inspection in April revealed “the vacant building notice had not been abated.”The owner sent a letter to the city, requesting an extension and time to look for an attorney, so the court case was postponed to December.In a statement, the city told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates: “We are still working to force the owner of 3535 (Belair Road) to make repairs or get the property to someone that can make repairs.”So far, Lewis remains stuck.”All that debris is against my party wall,” Lewis said. “I’m stuck. I can’t, I won’t open up. I have money to open this building; I can’t do it because the city won’t listen to me.”For two years, Lewis has been caught in the middle because of a devastating fire next door and a shared wall.Firefighters told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that the cause of the fire remains under investigation. 11 TV Hill Video Below: TIF Program aims to clean up vacant properties (September 2025)
Business owners who are trying to make repairs to their properties have been in limbo for two years since a devastating fire at a vacant business next door.
In August 2023, a three-alarm fire heavily damaged a vacant business at 3535 Belair Road in Belair-Edison, as well as the neighboring structures.
Butch and Zelda Holmes and Andre Lewis, the owners of the neighboring properties, told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that they can’t make repairs — two years later — because of damage at the vacant business.
“After the fire, there was a lot of damage to our building. We had a lot of water damage. We had a lot of smoke damage,” Zelda Holmes told WBAL-TV 11 News investigates.
The Holmeses told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that they have since spent more than $21,000 on repairs thus far.
The front of the vacant building might not appear so bad, but an aerial view from SKY 11 shows most of the roof caved in, as well as extensive damage to two floors. From the back, there’s a broken window and open doors that reveal the fire’s destruction.
Among the hazards, the neighboring business owners told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that children and adults climb the fire escape steps and get on what is left of the roof of the vacant building.
“They could possibly hurt themselves. Somebody could fall straight through the roof,” Butch Holmes told WBAL-TV 11 News investigates.
Part 1 video below: Residents concerned over proliferation of fire-prone vacant properties
The Holmeses requested an emergency demolition of the vacant property.
“This building is causing problems,” Butch Holmes told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates. “I want the city to knock this building down so I can help my community. Take it down so I can help my community.”
But they didn’t get the answer for which they hoped.
“(The city said) it did not qualify and that the protocol was going to be followed, and I haven’t heard anything since,” Zelda Holmes told WBAL-TV 11 News investigates.
‘Mr. Lewis can’t do anything … until they knock this building down’
Lewis owns the PTL Christian Fellowship Center on the opposite side of the vacant property. He told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that he can’t make repairs because of a heavily damaged wall that’s shared with the vacant property.
Lewis obtained a structural engineer’s assessment that quotes Baltimore City building code, stating: “Shared elements (party walls) must be repaired and finished by the owner of the demolished or damaged structure.”
“I pay $800 for a 10-page report,” Lewis said. “(I) can’t do anything with this building until they knock (the vacant) building down.”
Then, Lewis received a vacant building notice shortly after the fire, as well as two failure-to-abate citations.
“Is this ludicrous?” Lewis said.
He received the notices despite showing the city the repair assessment he received. So, he requested a hearing with the Baltimore City Environmental Control Board. Four days before the scheduled hearing in October, it was canceled and the citations were abated.
“I want to open (the property) because I want to give back to the community, that’s the main thing. When I can’t do that, it stresses me,” Lewis told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.
City files receivership action against vacant property’s owners
The Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development sent a statement to WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates about the burned-out building, saying: “The city has filed a receivership action against the owners to have them rehab the property or a receiver will be appointed to auction the property to a qualified buyer that can rehab the building.”
The vacant property is owned by 2000 Neptune, a limited liability company based in Los Angeles. In May, the city filed a petition to have a vacant building receiver appointed. The petition indicates a vacant building violation notice was issued in January 2022 — more than a year before the fire, calling the property “unsafe and unfit for human habitation.” An inspection in April revealed “the vacant building notice had not been abated.”
The owner sent a letter to the city, requesting an extension and time to look for an attorney, so the court case was postponed to December.
In a statement, the city told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates: “We are still working to force the owner of 3535 (Belair Road) to make repairs or get the property to someone that can make repairs.”
So far, Lewis remains stuck.
“All that debris is against my party wall,” Lewis said. “I’m stuck. I can’t, I won’t open up. I have money to open this building; I can’t do it because the city won’t listen to me.”
For two years, Lewis has been caught in the middle because of a devastating fire next door and a shared wall.
Firefighters told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
11 TV Hill Video Below: TIF Program aims to clean up vacant properties (September 2025)
