Crews began to demolish a partially collapsed building on the corner of 33rd and Troost Avenue Wednesday night - to the price of $29,000.
The vacant building partially collapsed late Tuesday night. No one was injured in the collapse.
“Day by day, a few more bricks would pop off. I started noticing cracks,” said Lori Buntin, who lives and works across the street.
Armed with a camera, Buntin said she has been watching the building shift over the past few days and documenting its decay. Late Tuesday night, she started to take pictures when she heard several pops.
"I luckily hit the record button on my camera and just held it on the building,” she said.
Buntin captured the front portion of the building collapse. On Wednesday, she was still in shock.
Here's a closer look at the damage. KCMO says it will have to be demolished "right way" @41ActionNews pic.twitter.com/yLLCNREUgx
— Ariel Rothfield KSHB (@arothfield) August 3, 2016
“You know I regret that it happened. I regret I saw it happen but mostly that it happened at all because it didn’t have to,” said Buntin.
41 Action News found several calls placed to Kansas City about this building and its condition dating back to 2015.
The latest phone call was made last week on August 27. According to the city’s 311 reports, the caller said a portion of the building had broken off and fallen into the street. “He feels it is now a dangerous building,” the report read.
311 Calls made to KC about 3301 Troost Ave
7/27/2016: portion of building had broken off and fell into street
6/30/2016: dangerous building about to fall, building center support has dropped a foot, tall grass and busted windows
6/10/2016: dangerous building about to fall, building center support has dropped a foot
3/24/2016: roof is in critical disrepair
2/12/2016: roof is caving in, back walls are coming apart
8/28/2015: wall in front of the property has fallen, blocking sidewalk and bus stop
Several neighbors told 41 Action News although they watched the building recently buckle, they question the validity and intent of these calls. The owner was attempting to sell the building but was delayed by 'adverse possession’ claims.
“I tried to purchase it but it was a long and difficult process,” said Angie Splittgerber, who tried to purchase the building in July to preserve and restore it. “We were not able to reach an agreement. [The owners] put it in a holding pattern.”
The city started an investigation in June. An investigator assessed the property for maintenance and code violations but not for structural integrity. The house was not placed on the city’s dangerous buildings list until Wednesday morning, after the partial collapse.
"We responded to those complaints, we came out here. They were not quite as serious in the judgment of the inspector as the person who had called in,” said Chris Hernandez, a spokesman for the city.
The owner of the property is listed as Nashae Wells. 41 Action News made several attempts to reach Wells and ask about the building. An email from her attorney said "she does not wish to comment.”
The city has issued three citations for Wells over the last three years, totaling $400. City records show she has not paid the fines.
For Buntin and others in the neighborhood, this partial collapse is a loss for the neighborhood.
"Owners should be held to a standard and fined heavily if they don’t because this becomes a dangerous situation, not just ugly visually, it becomes dangerous,” Buntin said.
Kansas City will now spend $29,000 to demolish the building.
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