Crews tear down dangerous property in Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ.)

A home in Jefferson City has been torn down after it was considered unsafe to the community. 

Jefferson City demolition workers are in the process of demolishing 407 East Capitol Ave.

The building has been there for more than a century, but Housing Property Inspector Dave Helmick said there have been so many issues with the home, keeping it up would create a danger to the community. 

"Accumulation of trash, people breaking in, and then there were issues with the roof water infiltration, mold, mildew," Helmick said .  

Helmick said the city had to evict the someone living inside the home in the spring because of an over-accumulation of hoarding issues. Helmick says there were also strangers living in the upstairs unit.  

"There were squatters breaking into the upstairs unit and starting fires, using a list of drugs, breaking into the basement while the tenant or the owner of the property was living on the first floor," Helmick said .

Helmick said once the property is fully torn down, the area will be used as a green space or lawn area. But the space could be used for something different later on. 

The project is expected to cost more than $38,000 and the owner of the home will be responsible for the cost of the demolition. 

The City Council had also recently voted to demolish another building on Capitol Avenue that suffered significant fire damage last month.