“What we really have to look at is will the building impact the right of way and the passers-by and the public and the answer is yes,” Shannon Meadows, the city’s Community Development Director, said.
The multi-story red brick building is on the 300 block of West Pleasant.
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The building started to collapse into itself about and the city took immediate action after being notified by the Springfield Fire Division just over a week ago, according to Meadows.
The building had endured a structural collapse, So, the city ordered an emergency demolition and removal of the structure.
“So, you have to immediately be very conservative about health and safety,” Meadows said. “The original failure was in the middle part of the second story of the building.”
There were additional failures in subsequent days, Meadows said.
That’s what prompted the emergency demolition. City officials didn’t want to risk the building falling onto pedestrians.
The demolition project is costing about $40,000, according to Meadows.
“The amount will be assessed to the property and if the assessment were to be paid, it will come back to the city to be used again for other matters associated with demolitions and emergency removals,” she said.
The lot will also be cleared.
“Once the building is removed, the ground will be back filled and then we will come through and put seed and mulch, grass seed down. So, it will be a vacant lot.” She said.
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