Columbia City Council receives report on delaying demolition of historic buildings

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia officials are considering whether to give historic buildings more time to be saved from demolition as the city’s Historic Preservation Commission develops a broader plan to strengthen preservation rules.

The Columbia City Council will review a staff report Monday outlining options for temporarily delaying demolition permits for properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The council requested the report in September. No action is expected Monday, according to a council memo.

The action comes as community members rally to save Katy Station, a former rail passenger depot for the MKT Railroad built in 1909. Supporters are trying to save the building and move it as a new owner takes over the property.

State law allows the city to temporarily delay demolition permits to give officials time to study additional historic preservation measures, the memo states. Any ordinance would need to identify which properties qualify, establish a specific time frame and outline exceptions for circumstances such as dangerous buildings or substantial economic hardship.

The National Register of Historic Places is a federal list of properties recognized for their historical significance. Listing can provide access to rehabilitation tax credits but does not automatically protect a building from demolition.

Columbia has 33 individual properties listed on the National Register.

The city’s Historic Preservation Commission currently reviews demolition applications, including for structures more than 50 years old and properties within historic survey areas or National Register districts. The review period lasts up to 45 days, but the commission cannot prohibit demolition through this process.

Columbia also has five properties with a local Historic Preservation Overlay zoning designation. Owners of those properties must obtain approval before making certain alterations or demolishing a structure. The commission can deny that approval, preventing the city from issuing the relevant permit, according to the memo.

In 2016, the city established a temporary administrative delay for demolition permits involving structures at least 50 years old in the downtown area.

The Historic Preservation Commission is finalizing a broader preservation plan that includes recommendations to expand demolition review requirements. The memo states the plan is expected to reach the City Council for consideration in January or February 2027.

Carrie Gartner, a member of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, said the current 45-day review period does not give property owners and historic preservation advocates enough time to negotiate alternatives to demolition.

The commission wants to extend the delay to six months, Gartner said, giving stakeholders more time to find solutions that preserve historic buildings while addressing property owners’ interests.

“We need at least six months delay on the demolition to give people time to maybe reach a compromise, maybe find a different solution,” Gartner said. 

Gartner cited Katy Station, located at 402 E. Broadway and currently home to Shiloh’s Bar and Grill, as an example of the need for additional time. The building originally served as a depot for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Earlier this year, the building’s owner announced plans to demolish it and replace it with apartment units. Local historic preservation advocates and the incoming owner are discussing options to relocate the structure and preserve it.

James Roark-Gruender, a member of the Save Katy Station steering committee, said additional time has allowed the committee to work with the current and incoming owners to explore alternatives to demolition.

Roark-Gruender said he is unsure whether six months is the exact right amount of time but he believes the current 45-day period is too short for meaningful negotiations.

He said a longer review period could encourage developers to discuss their plans earlier and give community members more time to find solutions without preventing development.

“We're not trying to stop the development. We're working with the people who are buying it and working out a plan to move the station and have a win-win for both people,” Roark-Gruender said.