Demolition of Broadway building begins; will be finished this week

A little more than a month after a building at 633 Broadway was demolished, crews began tearing down a nearby structure Wednesday morning.

Kenny Pincksten of Prestige Development of Cape Girardeau, who acquired those buildings in early January, said demolition at 621-623 Broadway should be complete by the end of the week. He plans to recycle the brick from the structure at a home in Laurel Grove subdivision in Cape Girardeau and in the restoration of the building at 635-637 Broadway.

When crews are finished with the demolition, Pincksten plans to turn the property into a parking lot.

As for 635-637 Broadway, Pincksten hopes to use the space for commercial development. Work should begin in the next 30 days, Pincksten said, and should be complete by March 2011.

"I'm hoping this serves as a catalyst for future developments in the area," Pincksten said. "I could tear down the entire building at 635-637 Broadway and rebuild it from scratch, but it wouldn't have the same look that it will have when I use these bricks to make it resemble that old-timey look."

He said the use of the property where the building at 633 Broadway once stood is still undetermined.

In June, the city of Cape Girardeau condemned the building at 621 and 623 Broadway days after a wall partially collapsed. Ed Dodd previously owned the building.

That same month, city leaders issued a summons to Guy Tomasino, the previous owner of the building at 633, 635 and 637 Broadway, for failure to repair or demolish a building. The summons was issued because Tomasino did not respond to a letter demanding a bowed wall be repaired.

Pertinent addresses:

621 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO

623 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO

633 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO

635 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO

637 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO