OVIEDO, Fla. — Oviedo Mall is facing several fire code violations.
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The mall’s developer isn’t shy when talking about the issues at the mall, from the leaking roofs to the fire code violation. He said they’re working through all of it, and are very optimistic about where the mall will be in the years to come.
Development director Kevin Hipes said fire code violations, major safety violations, the building showing signs of disrepair, consistent fire alarm issues and holes in the drywall due to roof leaks are being taken seriously.
He said the first contractor hired didn’t do a good job, so they made changes, including hiring a construction manager.
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“We’ve resolved a lot of them already,” Hipes said. “The mall owner flew into town on Monday, and we met with the fire people (and) we met with the mayor. And we told them we are going to fix these things, are on it. We’ve done some already. We take this seriously.”
As for the leaky roof, Hipes said it should be another six months to complete work. They have spent $2 million to replace 50% of the roof on the mall, including over the theater.
Hipes said they are working every day on reinventing the Oviedo Mall, and that 95% of the mall is occupied right now.
While his plans to move Oviedo City Hall and police station to the old Sears store are dead for now, he believes this is the next area of growth for the city.
The mall owners go before a special magistrate on Aug. 24 to discuss where they’re at with fire code violations.
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