Fire in downtown building called arson

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Investigators have ruled a fire at a downtown Albuquerque building this weekend arson.

Now the city is stepping in to deal with the problem property.

On Monday the city red-tagged the vacant building in the 500 block of Coal Avenue SE where a fire broke out early on Saturday,

Residents say this is one of many problems they've seen at this building.

"We've worked as a neighborhood association and the neighbors trying to get it cleaned up on and off for the last 15 years, and we've haven't really been able to get anywhere with it," neighbor Jason Libersky told KRQE News 13.

Neighbors said a contractor owns the building and he rarely comes by to check on the property.

Now that the city has red tagged it, they will force the owner to clean it up.

The building is in the Huning Highlands Historic District although an official of the neighborhood association said its age and history is not clean. Some records suggest it was built as duplex apartments.