Demolition of crumbling building stalled as negotiations, lawsuit continue

As Mid-Missouri prepares for a second round of snow this month, plans to the building at demolish 200 E. High St. remain at an impasse.

The downtown Jefferson City building partially collapsed in June, and later was discovered to be connected to its neighbor, 202 E. High, by a shared wall. Building records show the 202 E. High St. structure was built using the walls of 200 and 204 E. High. All three buildings over 100 years old.

“(The partial collapse) happened basically the same day that we got our building permit,” said Matt Green, owner of Bar Vino at 204 E. High St. The city government warned Green that his building could be compromised by the collapse of the shared walls.

“We built (Bar Vino) for a long time, and we’ve been open for a while,” Green said. “Still, seemingly, nothing has been done.”

The city and owner of the crumbling building agree that demolition is the best route to make the area safe. However, no plans are in place as building owners continue to figure out who would pay for what.

The owner of 200, Andrew Neidert, and owner of 202 E. High St., Carol Wieberg, are negotiating who is responsible for paying for the demolition, as well as any damage caused to 202 as a result. Neidert filed a lawsuit against Wieberg in October on the issue, citing a 19th century agreement.

Because Neidert’s building poses a threat to the public, and there is no idea when it might be addressed, the city has begun the process of demolishing the building itself.

Jefferson City Counselor Ryan Moehlman said they are only involved because it is a public safety issue, and Neidert does not have a plan to address it.

“(The collapsing building) impacts our streets because we have to have an appropriate safety clearance area for the traveling public and the people passing through downtown aren’t harmed by this city,” Moehlman said.

“The city would not need to get involved if (Neidert and Wieberg) could work out those issues in a timely manner.”

This week Neidert and the city signed an agreement saying that demolition is the best route for making the area safe. Now the city is working with Wieberg to figure out if the same must be done for that building.

In November, the city sent Wieberg a letter outlining several aspects of the building that must be fixed by Jan. 31. The city estimated the cost of those fixes to be about $170,000. The building is valued at $284,100, according to the letter.

If those problems are not fixed, the city could move forward with finding a contractor for demolition. If that is necessary, it would have to involve a bidding process to find the most cost-effective option.

City Building Official Larry Burkhardt said they are “impatiently waiting” as Neidert’s building continues to deteriorate. The hole in the side of building, which overlooks Maidson Street, has crawled up from the first to the third floor of the building since June.

While negotiations continue, Green said the collapsing building can help with business.

“Everyone knows where the building is falling down. We’re two doors down from there. It’s kind of an unsightly city landmark, I guess,” Green said.

Attorneys for both Neidert and Wieberg said negotiations are ongoing, but denied to comment further.