Vacant building raises concerns near downtown Las Vegas

People living in one downtown Las Vegas neighborhood say they're fed up and want something done about a vacant building.

They tell us the building has gone up in flames and been a haven for squatters throughout the years. Now they're asking for help to shine a light on what they call an eyesore in their backyard.

"It is burned out, abandoned; it was squatted in for years," said Ahmad Ade, who lives nearby the old apartment building on G Street and Morgan Avenue.

Ade has lived in the area for years and worships at the nearby mosque.

"The roof is collapsed; there area holes in the walls," he said of the building. "The fire should have taken the whole thing down."

It's easy to see the recent fire damage. Ade says the vacant and boarded-up building has had more than a few issues over the years, especially with squatters.

"Two years ago, there was a body under the tree," Ade said. "We thought he was resting, but he was actually dead."

Ade says he and others have raised concerns, but the building still stands.

"It is a eyesore; it makes everything around it look bad," he said.

After hearing these concerns, I reached out to the City of Las Vegas earlier this week — and again Thursday morning. When I arrived at the building for this report, so did code enforcement to inspect it.

A representative says there are eight complaints about the building, dating back to 2009. In 2022, it had to be cleaned and secured.

In 2023, there were maintenance and homeless issues, but no cases before May of this year.

At this point, the City has not deemed that the building needs to be demolished, despite the collapsed roof and it being an eyesore to residents who live nearby.

"Because there are four walls standing, the City or County won't condemn it," Ade told me.

The City tells Channel 13 a building would have to be declared dangerous in order for it to be demolished. For that to happen, it would have to qualify under the 2022 Dangerous Buildings Code. Here is the link to that code .

If you feel there is a code violation or issue with a building or property in your neighborhood, the City says you can contact Code Enforcement and they will take a look. There is an online form for that here .

You can also contact Code Enforcement at 702-229-6615.