The Jefferson City Council held off voting Monday evening on a contract to demolish one or both crumbling downtown buildings.
City staff presented a bill and substitute bill that would allow the City Council to enter into a contract with ARSI Inc. to demolish 200 and/or 202 E. High St.
The City Council approved Ward 3 Councilman Ken Hussey's motion to place both bills on the informal calendar so city staff can continue conversations with Neidert Properties LLC, owner of 200 E. High St., and Carol and Ruben Wieberg, owners of 202 E. High St.
If no action is taken, items on the informal calendar expire after three meetings.
In June 2018, the west wall of 200 E. High St. partially collapsed due to water infiltration and hidden decay, according to structural engineers. City staff later ruled the common wall between the buildings at 200 E. High St. and 202 E. High St. share was failing and must be repaired.
ARSI Inc. provided two bid options - one to demolish both buildings simultaneously and another to demolish them on separate days.
To demolish 200 and 202 E. High St. simultaneously, it would cost $268,000, according to ARSI Inc.'s proposal.
In the second bid, if ARSI Inc. demolished the north, west and south walls of 200 E. High St. - leaving the common wall in place - it would cost $186,000.
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If the council wanted to demolish 202 E. High St. within 14 calendar days of the company finishing the demolition of 200 E. High St., it would cost an additional $89,000, according to the proposal.
If the city delayed or deferred the demolition of 202 E. High St. beyond 14 calendar days, the proposal states, ARSI Inc. could do additional mobilization and engineering services for an extra $38,000.
Last month, the City Council approved a $300,000 supplemental appropriation to pay for possible demolition of one or both of the East High Street buildings.
If the city abates the nuisances, tax liens could be placed on the properties.
After more than 1 years of no improvements at the East High Street buildings, Jefferson City residents are tired of seeing the downtown buildings continue to crumble.
"I don't think anyone here is pleased that (they've) been here for 18 months, that it's been staring at us in the face," Mel Kallal told council members. "The city needs to remove those structures. It's been long enough - 18 months."
City staff gave the Wiebergs until Dec. 9 to begin repairing or demolishing their building. If they didn't, the city threatened to begin the demolition process Dec. 10.
City staff did not begin the demolition process last month as they were working with the Wiebergs and Neidert Properties on a resolution, City Counselor Ryan Moehlman said.
Since the city staff ruled the common wall was failing, Neidert Properties and the Wiebergs have argued over who is responsible for repairing and maintaining the common wall, filing petitions with the Cole County Court in fall 2018.
Cole County Presiding Judge Pat Joyce ruled last year Neidert Properties owns the common wall and could demolish 200 E. High St.
Andrew Neidert, with Neidert Properties, applied for a demolition permit in September 2019.
The Wiebergs filed an appeal with the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals in October, asking the court to reconsider Joyce's judgment.
After city staff ruled both of the East High Street buildings were dangerous in 2018, they gave Neidert Properties and the Wiebergs deadlines to repair or demolish their buildings, which they both missed.
The city held administrative hearings and ruled the city could abate the nuisance if the property owners did not repair or demolish the two buildings.