It has been 11 months since a fire tore through the former Hall Theatre on the Cassville courthouse square, and the city of Cassville is seeking to utilize a state cleanup program before demolishing the building and creating a parking lot.
Steve Walensky, Cassville city administrator, said the city has been working with building owner Travis James through the court system to make headway on the property.
Cleanup is the initial goal, and the city is aiming to fund it through the Brownfields Voluntary Cleanup Program. A cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the program offers brownfields site-specific assessments of properties for public entities such as cities, counties and quasi-governmental entities, as well as for not-for-profit organizations.
According to a brochure on the program, local governments sometimes have difficulty finding adequate funding to pay for environmental assessments prior to redevelopment of acquired property. The site-specific assessment program can provide assessments at no cost to the applicants. An assessment provides valuable information that can aid in making decisions regarding the future of the property.
“The city is the tip of the spear as far as getting this done, but we also need owner approval, and he has approved,” Walensky said. “The owner had offered the council the building as trade for cleanup, but that was an offer the council declined. We’ve been moving through the court system, and the Department of Natural Resources has signaled to me funding is available if we just apply.”
The original intent of the Brownfields Program was to help clean up closed filling stations’ fuel tanks, similar to how the tanks were removed from Jump Stop in Cassville after its closing.
“At the Hall Theatre, there is a heating fuel tank in the basement,” he said. “If you look at the corner facing the Post Office, the cap to fill it is on the sidewalk there. The basement of that building has flooded during rains, and the owner would pump the water out the window. Because the tank has a leak, the water was contaminated with heating fuel, which at one point was running in front of the Post Office.”
Walensky said the city reported that incident, and the evidence from that instance may help in receiving state funding for cleanup. After that, the city could take the building down.
“Whatever the cost is, the city will pay it and pursue recuperation through court,” he said. “Why it is taking so long is because we have to go through the legal chains to let the owner know we were interested in cleanup, and it was a struggle early on with no responses to our correspondence. We’ve given every opportunity to remedy this, and this was our best attempt to get involved.”
Walensky said recent communication with James has been more cooperative. DNR, Walensky said, should have a response to the Brownfields application in coming weeks.
After cleanup and demolition, the property will have a new look.
“The thought and recommendation to the city council right now is to make it a green space or use it for parking, which is sorely needed on the square” he said. “That is the most cost-effective way to put something in place that people will use. We should take ownership of the property through court proceedings.”
The Hall Theatre was one of more than a dozen properties the city is seeking to repair or condemn. Walensky said it is a slow process, but there is steady progress.
“Some properties have sold, like the one across from Fohn Funeral Home with the hole in the roof,” he said. “That new owner is rebuilding. Jerry Watley tore down one property on Fair Street, and several trailers on County Farm Road are being demolished or removed. The nice part is people are working with me.
“Even though we go through the legal process for condemnation, most people call and see what they need to do, and we extend an olive branch to all. We are patient and will work with them if there are delays. If they are making progress and
