Photo by Zachary Siebert / St. Joseph News-Press

Foreman Shawn Britz surveys the results of the first day of demolition at 117 S. Sixth St. in Downtown St. Joseph. The building was destroyed in a fire last week.

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A demolition company started work Monday on a fire-ravaged Sixth Street building that used to be part of Eshelman’s Music Co. And the city scrambled to deal with another Sixth Street building about two blocks away that collapsed sometime before Monday morning.

“Linda Hood told me to do whatever we’ve got to do to make the neighbors happy,” said Shawn Britz, vice president of Britz Wrecking of Platte City, Mo. Linda Hood and her husband, Ed, are listed as the owners of the building at 117 S. Sixth St. that burned last Wednesday.

Six employees were working on the demolition at 117 S. Sixth St. that’s expected to take about two weeks. The area still smells of smoke. Monday afternoon, an employee wearing a safety harness was sitting on the front facade about 40 feet above the street, removing bricks by hand. The company expects to salvage some of the bricks.

The main reason it’s being done this way, instead of bringing in a wrecking ball, is to prevent any damage to the buildings on either side, Mr. Britz said. The company hopes to have the basement filled and a graded lot by next Friday, he said.

Fire inspectors still don’t have a cause for the fire that did about $98,000 in damage. Inspectors sent evidence to the Missouri State Highway Patrol lab in Jefferson City.

The city is dealing with another building at 521 S. Sixth St. that had a history of property maintenance issues.

“There had been years of neglect and disrepair,” said Sam Barber, the city’s customer assistance director.

A brick wall in the rear collapsed sometime before Monday morning, he said. City records show David W. Mason Jr. and Gloria J. Mason as the owner, Mr. Barber said. The building is unsecured, and the city is giving the owners a short time to decide to repair or demolish, he said.

The building is part of a group of older brick structures between Angelique and Messanie streets.

City inspectors will be checking the other buildings to ensure they are safe, Mr. Barber said.

Marshall White can be reached

at marshall@npgco.com.