Demolition of East Adams Street building could begin in the coming weeks

Demolition could soon begin on a building ravaged by a fire on East Adams Street in June .

Chris Nickell, the owner of the property at 413 E. Adams St., said designs for attachment brackets to stabilize the wall between Cafe Moxo and the three-story building that caught fire, were submitted to the City of Springfield Building and Zoning Department.

The stabilizing brackets recommended by Hansen Engineering will reinforce the brick wall by affixing the floor and ceiling joints to the brick. The city must approve or disapprove the permit before more action can be taken to demolish the burned building, while saving Cafe Moxo.

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The building on the popular downtown block caught fire June 19, displacing Elf Shelf Bookstore and Records, Electric Quill Tattoo Parlor, The Cats Pyjamas Cat Cafe, and the Pillsburied art exhibit on the third floor, which caved in. Cafe Moxo closed indefinitely on June 20 with smoke and water damage, citing the building was not safe to enter.

“In the last week or so things have started to break loose,” Nickell said. “We’re starting to make some progress so there’s light at the end of the tunnel now.”

The development comes a week after taking down the parapet connecting Cafe Moxo’s common wall and burned building, since engineers were approved by the city the structure was stable enough to take down the parapet.

This is just one of the steps in the multi-stage demolition, and Nickell hopes by early to mid-September demolition will begin.

More: Business forced to close after Adams Street fire nears reopening at new location

“If – you know – by the end of this week or by the first of next week the (city) approves it, then O’Shea Builders can get started,” Nickell said. “My personal goal being the downtown advocate that I am, is to have it in good enough shape the last few weeks of the farmers market so it can retake its original position.”

Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@gannett.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Demolition of East Adams Street building could begin in the coming weeks