The city of Portland has ordered an apartment building on Washington Avenue closed after finding blocked exits, unsafe wiring, excessive storage inside and out, a cockroach infestation and illegal units.

Portland officials announced the order against occupancy for 592 Washington Ave. on Friday afternoon. They said the building had been occupied by the owner, Isely Lamour, and his son on the second floor of the building and by a family of eight on the first floor.

The order requires the owner to make sure that the building is vacant and secured from vandalism and that he get city permits before beginning repairs. According to city spokeswoman Jessica Grondin, a re-inspection will take place July 24 to make sure the order is being complied with. In addition, Grondin said, the city’s lawyers will pursue legal action against Lamour, including injunctions and civil penalties.

Attempts to reach Lamour on Friday afternoon were unsuccessful.

Grondin said the city had received a complaint about the condition of the building in May, but said she didn’t know if the complaint came from a tenant or neighbor. An inspection then revealed several code violations for which Lamour was cited, she said. A follow-up inspection on Friday led to the additional citations and decision to order that the building not be occupied, she said.

Grondin said that inspectors told her that Lamour had owned another building in the neighborhood. She said she had no information on whether Lamour had been cited for violations at that building and she said he no longer owns it.

The order against occupancy was hand-delivered to Lamour on Friday by city inspectors and Grondin said staff from social services also went to the apartment house to assist the tenants. Friday night, Grondin said she did not know if the tenants at 592 Washington had been relocated with the help of city staff or if they had made their own arrangements.

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