The City Council of Webster City voted Monday to post the signs because it did not get more information on the condition of the building at 719 Des Moines St.
The building attached to its south face has been in a state of partial collapse since October.
Shawn Anderson, the coffee shop’s owner, didn’t attend Monday’s council meeting. At the prior meeting, he pleaded with the council to postpone posting the unsafe building signs in an effort to save his business.
Multiple engineering reports have suggested that the collapse of the adjacent building has, or threatens to, damage the coffee shop building.
Though it is surrounded by barricades, the coffee shop has remained open to business.
The collapsed building could be coming down some time within the next week. The council learned that the permitting process is nearly complete, and it was told the contractor who will perform the demolition would like to work on a Sunday.
On behalf of Anderson, his insurance agent Kreg Foster suggested that the work not be done with a “wrecking ball,” but rather in the manner of dismantling the structure, the Council heard.
Last modified: December 7, 2022