Historic City of Jefferson hosts progress tour for Capitol Avenue redevelopment

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo (KMIZ)

The Historic City of Jefferson welcomed the public to a Progress Tour along Capitol Avenue from 1 p.m to 4 p.m. Sunday offering a glimpse into the ongoing Capitol Avenue Improvement Project.

The tour gave residents the unique opportunity to witness the city's efforts to restore and preserve its rich architectural history.

The tour comes just two weeks after the Jefferson City Council approved the redevelopment plan for a potential buyer, while discussing plans for another in a closed session.

President of the Historic City of Jefferson Stacy Landwher said the organization supported the proposal made by the Missouri Association of Counties to renovate the former Bush Memorial Funeral Home.

However, they were opposed to tearing down another building at 401 East Capitol.

"We definitely supported the Missouri Association Counties for what their proposal was, which was renovating the former Bush memorial funeral home...but we were a little bit in opposition of tearing down 401 East Capitol because it was structurally sound, and I felt like having those two buildings on the corners of the block made it a staple," Landwher said.

Most guests said they were eager to step back in time and appreciate the city's rich history.

"Oh, I'm so excited to see the homes on Avenue finally. I'm so glad they've opened this up," said Kristy Schriefer. "I've lived here all my life and I was devastated as everyone was when the hurricane went through and they started tearing down the more damaged homes."

The tour showcased some of the restored houses, with a mix of modern touches while preserving their historical charm.

Landwehr emphasized the need for any renovations to adhere to historical guidelines.

"You have to meet the historical components to these buildings, so you can't come and build in something, a complete glass building. It has to fit within the guidelines," Landwehr said.

Some owners said restoring these homes has been a true labor of love, with several years of dedicated efforts following the 2019 tornado.

Deb Sacilowski felt fortunate to have purchased the Ivy Terrace property, just in time to begin the restoration.

"It probably would not have made it much longer had somebody not gotten here to repair the damage and start bringing back to its original glory," said Sacilowski.

She said she plans to transform the structure into a bridal store.

"So, we found this house when it needed to be restored and we bought it for the purpose of having the first floor available for events such as weddings," sad Sacilowski.

The second floor is intended to be a wedding dress shop

Landwehr stated that each house has a different timeline for completion, but most are expected to finish renovations within the next three years.