BEATRICE – A consultant is being hired by the City of Beatrice to look at the structural soundness of two downtown buildings that are adjacent to a condemned structure.


R.O. Youker Inc. will conduct a structural review of buildings at 411 and 415 Court, at a cost of about $10,000. City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says the buildings are separated by 413 Court, known as the Barber Building. It was condemned by the city several months ago.  The city previously hired a contractor to demolish a building at 407 Court….which cost over $150,000.


"I think we implement those lessons learned as we move forward on this building. If you don't do anything, this building will eventually collapse....and when it does, it may or may not impact the neighboring buildings".


Tempelmeyer says one floor inside the building at 413 Court has collapsed. Two Councilmen, Ted Fairbanks and Rich Kerr expressed caution about a possible repeat of the situation with 407 Court Street. But both supported the consultant agreement.


Main Street Executive Director Michael Sothan says it would be better to spend money elsewhere to preserve the downtown, but the issue has to be dealt with.


"This is an issue that we've inherited. It's been decades in the making. But, at the same time with effort, with some grant sources, with working with property owners and even code enforcement when its necesssary, hopefully we can get ahead of this and we're no longer having to spend $200,000..$300,000...maybe more, to tear down a building...but hopefully spending $20,000 on a new roof. It's definitely more proactive".


The City of Beatrice and Main Street have been researching possible grant sources for building preservation.