WILMINGTON — After closing a week and a half ago, downtown venue The Blue Eyed Muse was inspected by New Hanover County Building Safety Department and ruled unsafe. However, it seems as though the building will be able to be reopened.
Related Story: So, what’s going on at the Blue Eyed Muse? Two very different stories
On Friday, the County released its report, citing numerous issues. The report cited mechanical, plumbing and structural issues. Owner Joseph Hou has been notified of the report, and is willing to rectify the issues, which will allow the building to reopen.
According Jessica Loeper, spokeswoman for New Hanover County, “the owner is fully agreeable to comply with Building Safety’s findings so that the building can be occupied again.”
Plumbing
One of the major issues was plumbing. According to the report, there was considerable plumbing work performed without permits or inspections, as well as a sewage system that was allowing sewer gas to enter the building. According to the County, “a licensed plumbing contractor will need to evaluate the buildings plumbing system and secure the necessary permit to perform corrections.”
Plumbing issues included:
- There is a sewer sump pit that is not sealed and allowing sewer gas to enter the room.
- The plumbing for the all the bars on premises to include the sump pit appear to have been installed without permits and inspections.
- There is also a bathroom that has been installed behind the main stage area on the second floor that does not meet the Handicap requirements, also installed without permits and inspections.
- The water closets in some of the restrooms are out of order and need repair.
Electrical
As with the plumbing issues, many of the electrical problems at the Blue Eyed Muse stem from work performed “without permits being obtained from our office,” according to the Building Safety Department report. The building will require a thorough inspection from a licensed North Carolina electrician.
Issues included:
- Covers & faceplates are missing from electrical boxes, switches & outlets
- Some electrical disconnection means & circuits not labeled properly at some panelboard locations
- There are some broken, damaged, non-maintained emergency lighting/exit signs required by the building & fire codes at various places through-out the building
- Extension cords cannot be used as a substitute for a fixed wiring method of the structure & cannot pass through ceiling or wall cavities
- Some electrical junction & device boxes should be properly fastened in place & supported
- Some electrical switches & receptacle outlets are hanging out & not properly mounted to electrical boxes at various places
- Some wiring methods at various locations not securely fastened in place & supported properly
Fire Safety
The fire safety inspection found several issues, including:
- Extension cords cannot be used for permanent use
- Multiplug adapters shall be prohibited
- Open junction boxes & open wiring splices prohibited
- Front lobby curtain, draperies, hangings prohibited
- Record of inspections, testing & maintenance must be maintained
- Raised seating areas upstairs on both sides must be removed or meet code for egress width
- Emergency lights need to be in working order
- Blank cover needs to be installed in electrical box in the cooler room
The full inspection report with specific code violations from the Building Safety Department can be read below.
Blue Eyed Muse Inspection by Ben Schachtman on Scribd
