The demolition of Shakespeare’s Pizza has been postponed, according to Columbia Public Works. Contractor Emery Sapp and Sons was scheduled to start the process on June 10 at 8:00 AM, but public works announced Wednesday morning that it would be delayed until June 15. According to Public Works building and site development manager Shane Creech, the decision to delay the demolition was not made by the city.
“The owner’s engineer, in discussion with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), was informed of a ten-day delay so the DNR could review their plan for demolition. It’s something that the city was unaware of.”
Creech said that Public Works will look into the Department of Natural Resources’ review process so the city is aware of the state requirements that come into play when demolishing a commercial building.
The start of the process on Monday will result in a sidewalk closure on the north side of Elm Street between 8th and 9th Street as well as a partial sidewalk closure on the west side of 9th Street between Locust and Elm. 9th Street will still allow a five-foot width for pedestrians to traverse the area. Public Works does not anticipate any street closures, however it urges motorists to exercise extreme caution when in the work zone.
Once the process is completed, Creech says the Shakespeare’s lot will remain vacant until construction plans for the new building are approved.
“We’ve seen some preliminary plans. The design professional associated with the project met with some various divisions in the department of the city to discuss what was proposed and potential concerns. But we have not had a full review submittal submitted as of yet.”
The sidewalks are scheduled to be reopened by Thursday, July 9 at 8:00 AM.
