Wilmington business owner determined to rebuild after roof collapse

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A day after the roof of a building along Princess Street collapsed, one business owner is ready to rebuild.

The roof of a building at 205 Princess Street collapsed Thursday afternoon around 1 pm.

Fortunately, no one was in the building at the time and no one was hurt.

The building’s only tenant is a web design company called Brand Engine.

Despite what happened, owner Justin Mitchener said his company will bounce back from this.

“It’s devastating to see, you know, but I’m optimistic,” Mitchener said. “We’ve built businesses, we help build businesses. I think we’ll be alright. But yeah, it’s, it’s a tough road. It’s a tough road and its a somber mood but it’s optimism and its a chance to rebuild and rebuild something better.”

With the age of buildings downtown, Mitchener believes something similar could happen again.

“It’s just absentee ownership that I think is rampant in Wilmington. I mean, I think you have, you see other building collapses around here and at some point, we’re lucky no one has gotten killed. But at some point, these buildings are getting older, these storms are getting stronger and someone’s going to get hurt.”

One person suffered minor injuries after a building exterior partially collapsed in downtown Wilmington back in March.

Before the roof collapse, Mitchener said he had reached out to the property management company multiple times about issues with the building, from a lack of repairs to leaks.

Mitchener said he wasn’t even surprised that the collapse happened because of how long his company had dealt with the building’s issues.

Mitchener added that the support his company has received has been incredible to see.

Other businesses have offered temporary space for them to work out of and Wilmington Downtown Incorporated has also reached out to offer help.

The building has been condemned by the city and the city said there is no danger of collapse in any of the surrounding buildings.