Construction may have triggered collapse of 200-year-old building

After withstanding more than 200-years of flood, fire, hurricane force winds and tropical storms, it only took the effort of a trencher and determined developer to instigate the partial collapse of another historic building; this one in the heart of the restoration area.

The building at the corner of Hypolita Street and Spanish Street, once the site of Jack Williams’ museum of weapons but most recently rented to the Bath Junkie, is situated in the turnbuckle of a block of property owned for the last 11-years by former mayor Len Weeks.  Williams’ son, Dana, recalls that he was 5-years-old when he and his family moved in.

The Victorian wooden homes on adjacent lots have all been demolished and removed in order for Weeks, who is a licensed contractor, to develop a new retail shopping village. According to sources, Weeks had plans to seek a demolition permit for the building — its continued viability as a stand-alone structure is now moot.

The Fire Marshal was called to the scene to inspect the damage to the building which Weeks purchased in May 2003, reportedly for $489,700.00.

There has been construction surrounding the building prior to this collapse, including a road renovation project spearheaded by Weeks on Hypolita and Spanish streets. The collapse opened up a massive hole in the rear of the building, which has been roped off.

Vice-Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, a local preservationist and planner, told Historic City News that she had been at the scene today since about 11:30 a.m. She advised that nobody was hurt when the historic building appeared to collapse at the foundation. Oddly, it doesn’t appear anyone was inside the store or remainder of the building when the building began to collapse; despite the fact that it occurred at midday.

City officials and the county records show that the historic Don Pedro Fornell house was built in 1804.  The decision to demolish was made after a discussion between former mayor Len Weeks, other professionals, and St Augustine Building Official, Will Franke.

According to Weeks, when he learned that the foundation was only oyster and coquina, he hired a crew to pour a concrete collar around the building to help make the foundation stronger. Today’s crew dug a trench around the sides of the building where the concrete was to be poured; possibly the trigger that caused the walls on two sides of the weakened structure to settle and collapse, but that conclusion is not yet official.

Weeks says the walls “just dropped” and that he doesn’t know why this happened. He was quoted in a press interview saying that he is heartbroken.

• Franke supported the emergency decision to demolish the ancient structure; concluding that the building could not be salvaged and the decision was necessary to protect people and surrounding properties.
• St. Augustine Fire Chief J.C. Costeira reports that the demolition will begin Friday morning.
• City Manager John Regan confirmed the decision to take down the 200-year-old building, saying that there is no way to save it or any of its walls.

Photo credits: © 2014 Historic City News contributed photograph by Nancy Sikes-Kline
Photo credits: © 2014 Historic City News contributed photograph by Raphael Cosme