From the Roundtable: Keep Historical Society in Columbia, even if it takes eminent domain

Forty years ago, the city directory listed 227 S. Sixth St. as the address of the Campus Snack. I don’t remember much about that restaurant, but over the years, a variety of people have tried their hand operating venues that served food at this address and later adult beverages under a variety of names.

Tom Atkinson operated Shiloh Bar & Grill there for 12 years before the building owner, Jack Rader, sent him packing to a new location at the old MKT (Katy) Station on Broadway so his two adult children could run its successor, Bengals Bar & Grill.

Rader, a former City of Columbia employee, said last year that he intended to eventually develop the property in a way that followed the recommendations of a consulting firm hired by the city and the University of Missouri, Sasaki Associates. Sasaki said that area of downtown was appropriate for mixed-use multi-story buildings and museums.

The theme and purpose of the Sasaki report on downtown development has been so thoroughly vetted, any alleged “surprises” from presumably informed downtown property stakeholders is a little difficult to put much credence in. Especially in this case,  because the aggrieved worked in the canyons of city government for years. Property ownership and management entails certain risks: constant due diligence should be so engrained to make them understand those risks, especially as it pertains to  high profile areas such as downtown Columbia.

Now comes the State Historical Society of Missouri in search of new digs because it long ago outgrew its quarters on the first floor of the East Wing of the UMC Main Library Building. For a while, there was talk of moving into the McKee Gymnasium south of Read Hall on the east side of Hitt Street, not far from where they are now. But parking-or really a lack of it-is a major concern amplified by the recent loss of a lot now the site of the Brady Commons addition.

Those who don’t seem to care much about the Historical Society or spout off that maybe some other community should take it off our hands don’t know how foolish they are. People in high places, who should know better, publicly misidentify it as the “Missouri Historical Society,” which actually signifies a different organization headquartered in St. Louis.  While they can be pardoned for that sin, they can’t be pardoned for their indifference to this society’s significance, including what it means for our beleaguered economy.

For some, the sin of the consultant headquartered half a country away was-in their opinion-to arbitrarily carve up the plat map of downtown Columbia and designate new applications for areas. Over the years, dozens of structures have come tumbling down, recycled into new structures or turned into parking lots.

In their presumably sterile inventory of the existing structures alone, Elm Street between South Fifth and South Sixth streets, the Sasaki team members saw a “garden district” and three expendable structures they presumed could be swept away without controversy for higher and better civic uses. Knowing of the State Historical Society’s desire to relocate, the city with Sasaki’s guidance let the spotlight shine on the now controversial site invoking the next possible step: condemnation through eminent domain.

Eminent domain! Two powerful words that have become this grist for innumerable local newspaper stories, op-ed bloviation and talk shows. The U.S. Supreme Court’s most recent decision on eminent domain, the Kelo case from New London, Conn., has become the fodder of controversy and cries for legislative action on many fronts.

Of course everyone would like to see this matter settled amicably. While there’s sympathy for anyone pouring money into upgrading and refurbishing what they own, the crying in this case diminishes when the aggrieved publicly plead their ignorance of what’s been talked about in their own backyard. Given its adjacency to the MU campus, the highest and best use of that property should be a mélange of civic and educational purposes. It’s the perfect site for the State Historical Society of Missouri. We can’t let that one get away!

Al Germond is the host of the “Columbia Business Times Sunday Morning Roundtable” every Sunday at 8:15 a.m. on kfru. He can be reached at [email protected].