Historic Yuma Building Damaged in Recent Earthquakes

A historic building that once housed a hotel and offices was damaged in a series of recent earthquakes and access to nearby parking and sidewalks has been restricted.

The building, known as the Gandolfo Annex, was already in disrepair and had been abandoned for years. It was declared to be surplus city property in 2006.

Building inspectors and Yuma Fire Department officials surveyed downtown buildings following a series of moderate earthquakes which struck the U.S.-Mexico border.

Fire department spokesman Mike Erfert on Tuesday said the unreinforced masonry building suffered additional and enlarged cracks as well as dipping, leaning and bending in the walls.

No other buildings in the city’s downtown were found to be unsafe.

The building was once used by entrepreneur John Gandolfo as an office and hotel annex. It was built in 1905 and is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

The city is working with a local engineer to develop a public-private agreement to restore the building.

Two moderate quakes Monday near Calexico were among more than 40 aftershocks that follow a magnitude-5.4 quake that hit in the Mexicali area on Friday.

Information from: The Sun, http://www.yumasun.com.