LIBERTY, MO — Historic downtown Liberty immediately draws people to its 1800s-style architecture.
That's why Jennifer McGuire, owner of The Parlor, decided three years ago that she had the perfect location for her boutique.
“(I) saw this place and fell in love,” she said. “It's beautiful. The history, every brick has its own story.”
Over the past few months, the city's focus has quickly turned to what they call “the hole.” McGuire said he lost nearly $70,000 in sales because of that.
“Once the fence went up, traffic stopped,” McGuire said. “No new customers, nothing new.”
Liberty City Council voted Monday night to demolish a third building at 11 Water Street. It's next to McGuire's store.
The reason is that it doesn't match the style or historical presence of the surrounding shops.
“For 64 years, the GM Petersville building has been the ugliest building in downtown Liberty,” said Liberty Mayor Greg Kanutson.
It all started with a building collapse accident in 2016.
The two historic buildings that once sat next to each other at 7 and 9 N. Water St. have begun to show signs of age.
The city bought these buildings for $1 at the time because they didn't think anyone would invest.
These two properties were demolished within the past two months because they were structurally unsound and posed a safety risk to the community.
The city then entered into a deal with Starr Development to acquire those properties in addition to the GM Peters building it already owns.
Kanutson said despite all the changes they're making, they won't lose sight of businesses like McGuire's that may need their help.
“We will do everything legally possible to support downtown Liberty business owners,” he said. “We want them to thrive here.”
Meanwhile, The Parlor is still recovering from tens of thousands of dollars in losses. They don't think they can survive in another world.
“It's not just about what we do for our business; it's about what we do for ourselves,” McGuire said.
Kanutson said the city has redevelopment plans underway. It could include more retail stores, restaurants and housing.
They plan to release their vision report in the coming months.
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