CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Eric Elmi can safely say he’s never seen two building facade collapses and a major apartment fire over the course of eight months in one city.

But the city’s chief building official told council Monday (Sept. 15) he can now check off that string of catastrophes.

“On Jan. 24, we had the tragic fire at the intersection of Cedar and Lee," Elmi said during an update to City Council.

“(Much of) an almost $67 million project burned, with nine ladder trucks responding. It took all night and over 5 million gallons of water to put this fire down.”

Thanks to the bitter cold, that water caked whatever was left standing in ice.

The State Fire Marshal’s office launched a six-week investigation that left the cause undetermined.

Demolition started in late March and,

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