The City of Renton is in the process of condemning the historic building on Wells Avenue South destroyed in a five-alarm fire on June 11.

The owner of the building at 232 Wells Ave. S., Robert C. Delancey, has until July 17 to either apply for a permit to demolish the building or submit approved building plans to the city to repair the structure.

Technically, what the city issues is an order to correct an unfit building, which is now considered a public nuisance.

Failure to comply with the order could result in up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Since the order was issued, Delancey has sold the property to Harvey Ho in a six-figure deal, according to a source close to the deal. The two men have signed the agreement, but earlier this week had yet to be officially recorded with King County, according to the source.

For property-tax purposes, the building was valued in 2009 at about $435,500; but that was before the fire that essentially gutted the building.

Delancey and Ho weren’t available for comment.

Ho also owns the building next door that houses Common Ground Coffee and Cupcake. In addition Ho owns a commercial building on Burnett Avenue South.

If the owner fails to comply with the order, the city will take the next step in the condemnation process, according to Neil Watts, the City of Renton Development Services Division director.

The process includes a public hearing where the issues surrounding the building are aired. The owner then has 90 days to respond.

“It can be a fairly long process,” said Watts, as much as six to nine months, depending on the actions of the owner.

The building wasn’t insured, which would actually speed the process because the owner won’t have to file an insurance claim, Watts said.

Watts said the owner is working with a structural engineer to evaluate what is necessary to tear down the building.

There are some “challenges” in demolishing the building, Watts said, including asbestos, which requires specially trained workers to remove.

Also, the buildings that front Wells Avenue share common utilities and a common basement. That common basement concerned firefighters, who feared the fire could use that common area to spread to the buildings on either side. That didn’t happen, but nearby businesses still suffered extensive water and smoke damage.

Currently, the building is fenced off on the front and back to prevent entry. The two businesses on the first floor, The Comics Den and A-1 Vacuum, have moved nearby.

Watts said he’s “not really comfortable” with the wall in the back of the building. The fire started in one of boarding rooms in the rear of the building, which suffered the most extensive damage.

Once the fate of the building is determined, the city and owner can then consider what happens to the space in the short- and long-term, Watts said.

The city is “pondering” whether retaining the historic brick facade is an option, although whether that’s possible would depend on a structural engineer’s findings.

Watts said the owner is talking about building a three-story to five-story building.