UPDATED 9:08 P.M.
PEKIN, Ill. – Repairs are expected to begin Thursday morning after a portion of the building that houses the Pekin Township offices on Elizabeth St. collapsed Wednesday afternoon.
City Manager John Dossey says the city’s building inspector was called at around 3:00 P.M. after reports from the neighboring law office that the building was collapsing onto it. The upper portion of the west wall was leaning against the law office building.
Dossey says fire crews were able to use ladders to inspect the building and the roof.
“From what we were able to see from the structure, they were inside, there’s significant amount of damage in there that they deemed we need to do an emergency demolition,” Dossey said.
Dossey says because of the collapse, the records from the township building had to be removed, as well as evacuations of the law office building and two apartments in the law office building. He says one of the apartment tenants was able to stay with family, while the other was reportedly out of town.
Elizabeth St. is also closed between 4th and 5th St. while the repairs are being done.
Pekin Township Supervisor Shannon Saal says she was just leaving for the day when she was told to come back and see the damage. She says the collapse left her “shocked” and “saddened,” but adds she was pleased to know no one was hurt.
“We are very, very thankful that no one got hurt, and that our building is pretty much going to be saved,” Saal said.
Saal says Jimax Demolition of Peoria will be working on the repairs. Repairs were delayed to Thursday morning, with Saal saying a small claw needed to get to the back alley, and that it was getting dark Wednesday evening.
Saal says the office is meeting Thursday morning to find a temporary home for the office in downtown Pekin. But she says repairs to the building are only expected to take about a day, with the office back in the building by the weekend.
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UPDATED 7:12 P.M.
PEKIN, Ill. – The Pekin Township building downtown is in the process of collapsing.
City Manager John Dossey says around 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, Pekin’s chief building officer was contacted by a neighboring law office, telling them that the west wall of the township building appeared to be collapsing toward the law office. From what WMBD News could see at the scene, the upper portion of the west wall is leaning against the law office building, and some of the bricks have broken away from the mortar.
Dossey says the roof has collapsed, and it has caused an emergency demolition to be ordered. Officials, however, did not know the extent of that Wednesday night, as crews are still investigating and inspecting the building. Ameren is on scene as well.
What’s being done now is determining what to tear down from the building, and if any of it can be saved.
The law office building has two upper floor apartments. The occupants are being relocated. One is staying with family; the other is believed to be out of town. All, however, have been notified.
Elizabeth Street between 5th and 4th Streeets remains closed to the public, and people are urged to stay away from the scene for their own safety.
No one is believed to be hurt.
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PEKIN, Ill. – The Pekin Township building downtown is in the process of collapsing.
That’s according to Pekin Police Chief and Interim City Manager John Dossey. He says the city’s building inspector was contacted around 3:00 p.m. Wednesday. An inspection determined that the west wall of the building was “actively collapsing,” with also significant roof damage.
Dossey says the situation is still active, and fire and building officials are working to figure out how to make the area safe. People are being asked to avoid the 400 block of Elizabeth Street. Elizabeth is closed between 5th and 4th Streets.
An emergency demolition has been ordered
This story will be updated when more details become available.
