Dunbar city council voted to take action at 405 11th St. during Monday's city council meeting.
Council approved filing an injunction in Kanawha Circuit Court against the property owners.
Dunbar Building Inspector Hugh Leishman said the structure has been on his radar for several years now.
"If [the issue] was picking up trash in the yard I wouldn't be as concerned as I am now," Leishman said. "Because the potential for disaster is there and we want to correct it before it happens."
Following an inspection by State Fire Marshal's office, prompted by a string of complaints, the owners were provided a list of violations needing to be addressed. Years have gone by without any action, Leishman said.
Several people call the three-story structure home, which Leishman described as a boarding home.
"It just needs a lot of work," he added. "It is an older building and needs to be brought up to current code. All we want them to do is fix up the property."
Mayor Terry Greenlee is hopeful the injunction will prompt some action to make the property safer - either by the city being granted the injunction and removing the structure's occupants or with the property owners making the necessary changes.
"They don't seem to want to respond to anything we want them to do," Greenlee said.
Also on Monday, Dunbar moved one step closer to having a renovated and redesigned city hall basement.
Council members voted to expend the $12,000 in state grant funds for the proposed senior/emergency center in city hall's basement during Monday's city council meeting.
"[The project] is a good thing for our town," Greenlee said. "We have needed it for a long time."
The center's plans call for a kitchen, dining area, exercise room, craft room, TV room, computer room and a library/sitting area. The center also will be supplied with some emergency supplies such as canned food, water, blankets and cots to serve as an emergency shelter for a small number of citizens if necessary.
"We hope the project is done by October this year," Greenlee said.
The project remains $28,000 short of its costs. The city is seeking additional funds from the Kanawha County Commission and Governor's Office.
"Money is hard to get with grant money," Greenlee said. "Everybody is cutting back now."
In other business, council:
n Held a public hearing on selling a small parcel of land to grocery Aldi in which no citizens objected.
n Reported improved financial progress on Shawnee Park, which the city has controlled for three years.
n Approved entering into an agreement with the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area that helps pay for the overtime costs in the city's drug unit.
n Approved a second reading to update certain city ordinances.
n Approved March 21 meeting minutes.