Demolition challenge

Paul Davidson has many fond memories of the old building at 505 Second St. East in the Illmo section of Scott City.

For decades the building served as home to the city's chapter of the Masons, of which Davidson was a member. The 84-year-old Scott City man remembers a building of solid construction where the Masons and the women of the Order of the Eastern Star met on alternating weeks -- a building that was rumored to have begun as a saloon and brothel at the genesis of Illmo's settlement around 1900.

Davidson, who became a Mason in 1946, estimates the Scott City chapter had 45 to 50 active members at its height. Now he's one of the few still alive. The Scott City lodge was absorbed into a Cape Girardeau chapter in the 1980s, and the building may soon disappear, as well.

Last month, the city government authorized police chief Don Cobb to serve notice to the building's owner that unless the structure is fixed, condemnation proceedings on the property would begin in 30 days. Winter is a big time for condemnation in the city, as the police department switches its focus from yard nuisances to dangerous properties, Cobb said.

This winter the city faces a condemnation challenge with 505 Second St. East because the owner lives in Maine and the building is up against Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel.

The Masonic lodge, left, in Illmo has been condemned by Scott City. The building is next to Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel, right.

The condemnation procedure could end up in the building's demolition, destroying a structure that may have been built before Illmo was incorporated as a city in 1904.

Records at the Scott County assessor's office indicate the former Masonic lodge was built around 1900.

The building is a definite hazard to public safety today, Cobb said. On Thursday, city workers boarded up an opening in the rear of the structure that allowed any passers-by access to the building.

Cobb said he'd found trash that indicated someone had been inside the structure recently.

'Dangerous' buildings

In the past few years the Scott City government has placed added emphasis on the cleanup or demolitions of what it deems "dangerous" structures like the old Masonic Lodge in Illmo. For Mayor Tim Porch and the city council, the objective is twofold: beautify the city and reduce possible injury to children and others who might enter open structures.

For the police chief, the focus is safety.

"It's not illegal to own an ugly home, but it is illegal to own an unsafe home," Cobb said.

Today the second floor of the Masonic lodge has collapsed. From the outside, visitors can see that the exterior wall on one side of the building is beginning to buckle. A pile of debris is behind the building.

Records indicate the owner of the building is Russell Cavanaugh, who lives in Kennebunkport, Maine. Scott City sent a notice via certified mail to Cavanaugh last month that condemnation procedures would soon begin but haven't received word back yet. Cavanaugh has until Jan. 27 to take the steps to make the building safe, or the condemnation process will begin.

Cavanaugh bought the building from John Rogers, who still lives in Scott City. Rogers can't remember exactly when he sold the two-story structure, but estimates it was eight to 10 years ago.

"It was really in pretty good shape," said Rogers, who also said Cavanaugh once lived in the building. Rogers said he believes the building's current state was caused by a leak in the roof that was allowed to get worse over the years.

Mayor Tim Porch said he'd like to see the historic building saved.

"The obvious bad shape has just started appearing in the last few years," Porch said. "I actually think the building structurally could be saved, but somebody's got to do something with it."

If Cavanaugh doesn't respond, the city may be forced to contract out the demolition of the building.

Demolition, however, comes with its own problems. One wall of the old Masonic lodge is up against the rear outside wall of Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel, something that occurred before zoning ordinances governed construction in Illmo.

Tearing down the old lodge will be more challenging than tearing down a free-standing structure, but both the city government and Scott Amick, owner of the funeral home, are confident it can be done without damaging the funeral home, which was built in the 1920s.

Amick just hopes something will be done soon to alleviate the problems attached to the wall of his funeral home.

"The thing we're concerned with is we're developing a termite problem," Amick said. "We don't know if it's coming from the building or the debris behind it."

The termites have burrowed into the funeral home subfloor, Amick said, taking a toll on his pocketbook through extermination fees.

Of course, if the old lodge were to collapse, Amick would have more to worry about than termites. But city officials say collapse isn't a possibility.

"We're not going to let that happen," Cobb said.

City leaders say they see results from their condemnation program. In most cases the landowners will take care of the property before the city has to step in and condemn a structure, Cobb and Porch said. Last year, out of nine condemned properties, seven were brought into line with city codes by the property owners.

"The thing with absentee landowners, it's usually just a matter of educating them about what shape their property is in, and they come in and take care of the problem," Cobb said.

In the four years that Cobb has been police chief, the city has only had to demolish two properties, he said. Sometimes prisoner labor can be used to control costs, but that won't be the case with 505 Second St. East. The structure's proximity to Amick's business will require professional expertise, and the cost will come out of city coffers until it can be recuperated through a tax lien placed on the property.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182