SAN JOSE — The owners of a blighted building in downtown San Jose have launched a cleanup of the historic property as a prelude to renovating the damaged structure.

The Lawrence Hotel building at 69 through 89 East San Fernando St. between Second and Third streets is now the focus of a wide-ranging effort to clear away blaze-scorched debris at the site, according to Joseph Castillo, a San Jose restaurant entrepreneur who is a co-owner of the historic building.

“We have gotten all the permits we need to do the site cleanup and start the construction that the building needs,” Castillo said.

In recent days, a crane towered over the building to assist in the removal of materials from the second floor of the Lawrence Hotel, a historic building that was constructed in 1893 that was heavily da

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