Mizzou's WWII-era housing faces demolition

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A man who owns two World War II-era Quonset huts in Columbia is preparing to demolish the housing while a third adjacent hut stays put.

City senior building inspector Doug Kenney said Robert Craig had applied for a demolition permit March 21.

Craig has to wait for a historical preservation review before obtaining the permit, which could happen as soon as today.

Craig said he plans to start demolition as soon as he obtains the permit.

University of Missouri sophomore Megan Smith lives in the adjacent hut, which won't be demolished.

"My roommate was looking for a place to live and told me about it, so I decided to go and tour it," she said. "When I was on my tour, I fell in love with it. It's quirky and different."

Quonset huts were built by the U.S. during World War II as barracks and MASH units. The metal huts are shaped like a cylinder cut in half.

The university built Quonset huts to accommodate the enrollment boom resulting from returning soldiers.