It's hard to miss all the construction happening in downtown Jefferson City these days. Several buildings are getting a facelift as they participate in the city's facade improvement plan.
One such building - 204 E. High St. - is also seeing many changes to the inside, in hopes of restoring the space and allowing for future occupancy.
Jay and Debbie Seaver purchased the downtown building last October from Pat and Steve Amick. With intentions to live on the second floor, the Seavers have used the last year to get all the plans in place to work with the existing structure. Construction began on the inside of the building in June with demolition. The facade came off just a few weeks ago, which has sparked the interest of passersby.
"We're excited to get it done. The front will see a vast improvement," Jay said, noting the outside was very bland and non-descript before.
The facade improvement will include repairing and exposing the front columns to how they appeared 75-80 years ago. The "Exchange Bank" lettering, which can be seen now, will remain.
According to the building elevations, new decorative railings will be added to the front on both the lower and upper levels. On the inside, the open concept and 20-foot ceilings with ornate details will be restored, getting the space closer to its original design.
With construction in full force, and framing underway on the second level, Seaver hopes to have the interior complete by mid-November. The outside facade should be complete with a similar timeline of early November.
Once work is complete, the Seavers will set out to find a business to occupy the storefront. "At this point, we're getting it ready to start trying to find the right business downstairs."