Wall of Broadway building collapses in Cape Girardeau; historian says building should be saved

The outer wall of a building at 621-623 Broadway in Cape Girardeau collapsed Tuesday night, taking out part of an apartment in the rear of the structure.

This morning, as the city government and building owners work to determine the fate of the structure, a historic preservationist says the building shouldn't be razed.

The back of the building had a 15 by 20 foot hole in the gray brick exterior, exposing the interior of part of the building's first floor.

Cape Girardeau Fire Chief Rick Ennis said the wall collapse was likely the result of long-term deterioration, and that the owner had been aware of problems prior to the collapse and had been working to address them. Ennis said residents of an upstairs apartment were home at the time of the collapse, but no one was hurt.

Residents of the building all had friends or family to stay with, he said.

The fire department received word of the collapse around 8:45 p.m., said battalion chief Steve Niswonger. The incident was reported to the fire department by a man who entered the fire station on Sprigg Street. When firefighters arrived on scene, they saw the hole in the structure and a crowd gathered around the back of the building, Niswonger said. A crowd remained at the scene until it was cleared nearly two hours later.

The building, owned by Ed Dodd of Scott City, houses four apartments, with an estimated seven to eight people living inside, Niswonger said.

A structural engineer deemed the building safe enough to allow residents to enter and get some belongings, escorted by firefighters.

Niswonger said the apartment building, which also houses a comic book store called The Comix Strip in the front at 621 Broadway, was damaged during rains in March, and today's heavy rain might have contributed to the wall collapse. The building was cordoned off with police tape and a police officer was stationed outside all night. A follow up inspection was to take place Wednesday morning.

Ennis said the building will be condemned, and the owner will now work with the city on cleanup and making the structure safe.

A man at the scene who described himself as the building's owner declined to comment or to give his name.

Karis Gluesing said he was one of three residents inside an apartment at 621 Broadway when the collapse occurred. He said he did not hear any noise when it happened.

"It was just quiet," Gluesing said. "It seem structurally sound to me but that's not for me to determine."

Tuesday's incident was the second partial residential building collapse in Cape Girardeau in three years.

A brick apartment building constructed in 1911 at the corner of Ellis and Themis streets partially collapsed on May 9, 2006. The front parapet of the building fell to the ground, taking out a bay window and a porch with it. The city immediately condemned the structure. While no reason was determined at the time, beams supporting the roof exposed by the collapse appeared to be decaying.

Dr. Steven Hoffman, a history professor at Southeast Missouri State University and treasurer of the executive committee of the Old Town Cape board, fears the incident may cause some people to believe tearing down the building is the best option. He said those people aren't thinking about the long-term effects of that option.

"I think people may say this building should be torn down before something else bad happens," Hoffman said. "But we need to save it.

"Which is more valuable, a gravel parking lot or something with retail?" he asked. "We need to take careful examination of what to do with the building that will best serve the citizens."

The partial collapse comes at a time when community leaders are focusing their efforts on the DREAM Initiative downtown strategic plan. The plan could transform areas of the city, including the downtown area, and includes proposals to create such features as an aquarium, riverside amphitheater, university village for shopping, residences near the River Campus and a 100-room hotel.

Hoffman said tearing down buildings such as the one at 621-623 Broadway would hamper efforts to effectively carry out the downtown strategic plan.

"If that and other buildings come down, the likelihood that some other dynamic building that takes its place is small," Hoffman said. "So we have a gap in the streetscape.

"The cumulative effect of those gaps destroys the sense of the place and viability of the remaining buildings and district as a whole," he said.

"Mainting the buildings won't be easy but if we're successful we'll be able to create something really nice. And these historic buildings on Broadway are a key and maintaining them is key to future success as a commercial

district."

Pertinent addresses:

621 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

623 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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