DAVENPORT, Iowa — A building in the village of East Davenport on 11th and Christie Street is now condemned by the city.
The building has two stories on the 11th Street side, and a blue building on the Christie Street side.
News 8's Jonathan Fong first reported on the building on June 5 which is owned by Andrew Wold, who also ran the collapsed building in downtown Davenport.
Latisha Howlett was in the Christie Street side from July 2018 to June 2022. She had her restaurant Bayside Bistro there, which is now in Rock Island.
"Electrical was a huge issue... and then really, it was just the landlord just really not wanting to abide by the lease," she said.
Howlett said that an electrical inspector was called in after years of unusually high power bills, a problem that former tenants on the 11th Street side complained about before.
"Having an actual bonded and licensed electrician come in to say no, actually, you are paying the utilities for this space... for all of the first floor and a good portion of the second floor," Howlett said, adding that she paid almost $45,000 in utilities while in the location for almost 4 years.
Howlett said Wold was difficult to work with.
"We've had two attorneys actually serve him notice for violating the lease and refusing to provide the instruments within the lease," she said, adding that he had a confrontational attitude.
"Andrew basically sends a message to the attorney that was representing me at the time... saying, 'you don't have enough money to keep going on with this situation — so just call it even,'" Howlett said.
She added that it's unfortunate how a building in such a visible area of the East Village could end up like this.
"I am saddened because this doesn't just affect Andrew Wold — this affects the village as a whole, which truly is a community," Howlett said.
Lisa Kinney, the mother of Jessica Kinney who ran a jewelry business in the 11th Street storefront had a more positive outlook.
"I'm really glad that the city finally took some action," she said.
However, Kinney worries about tenants at Wold's other buildings.
"You have to choose between your safety or your financial position," she said. "It really puts you in a terrible bind, because then you have to come up with money to move, your clientele don't really know where you went — it's like starting your business all over again."
Kinney and Howlett also want the city to do more.
"Take a look at all his properties and go back through the old inspections they've done, and maybe re-inspect them with a fresh eye," she said.
News 8 reached out to the city of Davenport on why the building is condemned now, and whether the building will be repaired or demolished. They have not responded yet, but postings around the building say parking will be prohibited on June 17 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Watch the previous story about the building below: