City moves to take downtown buildings

Major fires scorched both of them

The Fort Dodge city government is moving to seize two fire-damaged downtown buildings, which will likely be knocked down if the effort to take possession of them is successful.

The buildings are three-story brick structures located at 1101 and 1107 Central Avenue.

City Manager David Fierke said the buildings cannot be lived in and their owners have essentially abandoned them.

"There's been multiple fires," he said. "They're a hazard to life safety. They're a hazard to nearby buildings."

"We're trying to stop a future spread of blight," he added.

The city has filed documents in Webster County District Court asking a judge to declare the buildings abandoned under state law and to give the city ownership of them. The city will have to prove to the judge that the buildings meet about 10 standards that would justify declaring them abandoned.

Fierke said he is pessimistic that the buildings can be repaired and made livable again.

"They are more likely to be demolished," he said.

The building at 1107 Central Ave. was the site of major fires on Nov. 17, 2024, and Aug. 26, 2025. Six people were injured in the 2024 fire. One person was saved via a dramatic ladder rescue by firefighters.

That three-story building was constructed in 1895, according to online records of the Webster County Assessor's Office. Those records list the deed holder as Keith E. Eldridge, of Humboldt, with a contract held by Something Unique Safe Keeps LLC.

The building at 1101 Central Ave. was the site of a significant fire on Nov. 26, 2024. No one was injured in that blaze.

The building was constructed in 1916 and is owned by Rick Thompson, of Fort Dodge, according to the Webster County Assessor's Office

The city government has previously used the state's abandoned buildings law to take ownership of the Warden Plaza, 908 First Ave. S., and the former Fair Oaks Middle School, 416 S. 10th St.