Old bricks & hidden dangers in Du Quoin

The J.J. Higgins building at 112 East Main Street in downtown Du Quoin changed ownership only seven weeks before the interior west wall of the building fell in Tuesday.

The previous owners were Mr. and Mrs. Steve Knapp, who recently sold the building to Richelle Lietz of Dubois, according to a warranty deed filed in the office of County Clerk Josh Gross on April 2.

None of the damage is visible from the outside as Du Quoin police and firefighters continued their Main Street vigil to keep people away from the building.

The block containing the Blanca's Corner consignment shop at 116 East Main, the Higgins building at 112 East Main and the Du Quoin Insurance Agency building at 110 East Main was completely closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic overnight and remained closed on Wednesday and again today. The sidewalk on the other side of the street in the same block remained open.

When the wall fell, it pulled the second floor joists out of the wall and the downstairs ceiling now sags three feet. The top floor roof of the Du Quoin Insurance Agency to the west is partially tied into the collapsed wall. That roof is damaged badly enough that firemen and police helped owner Ronnell Karoski remove critical files from the building Wednesday night. A building engineer retained by the city and possibly a second engineer from an insurance company were to inspect all three buildings today.

At the outset, the opinion is that the building cannot be saved. The city has the power to declare an imminent danger and carefully have the building razed. Total cleanup could take weeks or months as the legal and issues are considered.

The Higgins building, which in recent months housed the "Back to Your Roots" hair salon, was constructed as a free-standing building back in the late 1800s. The buildings look connected from the front, but they are not completely connected.

The collapse sent bricks tumbling into the middle of the building. City administrator Brad Myers and city engineer Doug Bishop were coordinating how best to deal with the building and safety on the street.

Ronnell Karoski, owner of the Du Quoin Insurance Agency, said she can be reached at (618) 542-2525 or on her cell phone at (618) 218-2007 during the interim. Clients of the agency can also reach her at the family-owed Huie Insurance Agency at 113 East Market Street in downtown Christopher.

Blanca's Corner, owned by Terry and Blanca Kuberski, is closed, as well, for the time-being. Their building actually dog-legs to the west behind the Higgins building.

There was comment and speculation that heavy equipment and jackhammers working in downtown Du Quoin on new sidewalks may have contributed to the weakening of buildings. That is not the case, said Myers, Wednesday morning. "There was very little jackhammering and cuts were made in the sidewalks away from the buildings," he said.

Instead, the growing number of building issues are the result of age and water getting into soft bricks and mortar. This past winter's freezing and thawing didn't help. In March, part of the alleyside parapet wall of the Emling & Hoffman building collapsed. Owners say that section of wall is scheduled for repair just as soon as masonry contractor Wade Crews can get to it.

Similarly, the alley between what used to be Robbin's Hallmark and Riggio's Shoebox has been closed for several weeks after the wall of a small jetty on the back of the Hallmark building separated.

In recent months, Myers, city engineer Doug Bishop and Du Quoin Fire Chief Bob Shaw have identified nearly a dozen potential problems with brick facades in downtown Du Quoin.

Tuesday's collapse was actually spotted by staff members who work in an education office in the nearby Brookings building as they passed by the building. A short time after that there was a noticeable natural gas smell coming from the building. An Ameren employee called the Du Quoin Fire Department which was called to the scene at approximately 6 p.m.

Myers said he understands that closing the street is an inconvenience, but a necessity as a matter of safety.