Cameron moves to demolish historic Chestnut Arms (full story)
The city of Cameron began advertising for a bid to demolish the historic Chestnut Arms after building owner Jody Barker missed the deadline to submit a renovation plan last Friday.
The move by the city Monday seeks to end months of discussion regarding the future of the Chestnut Arms, which previously housed students for the now defunct Missouri Wesleyan College.
“They didn’t make the deadline to prevent us from going out for demo,” Cameron City Manager Steve Rasmussen said. “I don’t know what that timeline is, maybe about two weeks. They will come back and we will award the demo. It will be an expensive proposition. I think it will be about $60,000 or $70,000.”
As previously reported by the Citizen-Observer, the July 9 deadline came as a result of presiding Judge Traci Fann’s decision to declare the Chestnut Arms a dangerous structure during a hearing in June. At the hearing, Cameron City Building Inspector Paul Beckwith testified the 11-unit building posed an immediate safety risk due to its foundation buckling. Last November, city officials evacuated the building out of concern for the safety of its occupants. Along with the foundation, the city also found issues with the Chestnut Arm’s electrical wiring, plumbing and numerous building fire-code deficiencies. In late March, Beckwith met with Roth Restoration Services of Olds, Iowa on site to discuss plans to renovate the building in order to comply with city building codes, but no repairs took place that were significant enough to bring the building up to code.
Although considered a long-shot, Cameron Community Development Director Tim Wymes said the city advertising bids to demolition does not mean the demise of the more than 100-year-old building.
“We have to go through that process. They may come in at the last minute and say ‘we have a repair plan’ or get something worked out,” Wymes said. “If the city has to tear it town, then the city will pay to have it torn down and put a lien on the property. Hopefully they will come back with something or a repair plan.”
