Dozens Of Code Violations Shut Down Norwood Commerce Center

NORWOOD, MA — A fire at the Norwood Commerce Center on Tuesday has revealed dozens of code and life safety violations, according to Norwood fire and town officials. Part of Norwood Commerce Center was shut down on Wednesday because of the violations.

The former mill is also home to the Winsmith Mill Market and located at 61 Endicott St. It was converted into a variety of shops and businesses starting in 2012. The property consists of 14 buildings, including its main structure that houses Buildings 23-26, which is approximately 150,000-square-feet in size.

Tuesday's small fire was confined to the second floor of Building 26 and was quickly extinguished by Norwood fire crews. No injuries were reported and fire officials have deemed the cause accidental. Buildings 23-26 were closed during the fire investigation.

The building was cluttered and had been altered without proper permitting, making it harder for firefighters to reach the fire with their hoses, according to fire officials. Firefighters had to use extra hose lines, totaling about 350 feet in length, to get to the fire and extinguish it.

The Norwood Building Commissioner was called to the scene to review the property. Both Norwood Fire Chief George Morrice and Building Commissioner Walsh determined that the building needed to be closed until the violations were fixed.

The violations included an autobody shop that was running out of the basement of the building with several motor vehicles, boats and motorcycles inside. The ceiling of the shop is not fire rated and flammable materials were stored inside, fire officials said. A 25-seat theater was also found on the second floor of the building without proper life safety or health requirements.

Town officials said several businesses had been selling food and alcohol without proper licenses or permits. Several building projects were found that weren't permitted by the town that did not meet code or safety standards. Illegal bathrooms with inadequate plumbing and ventilation were also found.

The owner of the building is listed as Norwood Commerce Center, based in Boston and the property manager is Richard Bruno. In the coming days, town officials will continue to conduct further inspections, including an electrical inspection, and provide the owner with the full list of items that need to be rectified before the building can be allowed to be safely reopened.

"A building of this size with this large number of patronage needs to be properly maintained at all times and these violations are serious and unacceptable," Building Commissioner Walsh said. "We hold our businesses and buildings in Norwood to high standards and if those standards are not met, then the building is not safe enough to remain open."

The Norwood Commerce Center is home to a variety of small businesses including artisans, antique shops, clothiers, musicians, photographers, furniture makers and other types of businesses. Operating on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the property can see hundreds of visitors when open.

The fire code violations are listed below:

• Obstructed egress
• No pull stations
• No emergency lighting
• Fire load in excess of sprinkler capacity
• Unrated stairwells
• Improper compartmentalization
• Improper fuel storage
• Inadequate/broken water supply
• Unmarked sprinkler systems
• Unrated egress
• Propped open doors
• Dead-end corridors

"Any number of these violations would be cause for the building to be shut down, let alone the dozens that we've discovered on the property thus far," Chief Morrice said.