Four houses on Capitol Avenue may soon have developers ready to bring the historical buildings back to life, while two others - including the well-known Ivy Terrace - still await redevelopment proposals.
Despite drawing more than 100 visitors during its first public open house in November, the red-sided Queen Anne home on the corner of East Capitol Avenue and Jackson Street, known to many as Ivy Terrace, received no redevelopment proposals by the Jan. 7 deadline. Neither did 101 Jackson St., a duplex down the road.
The collection of six homes - 500, 501, 507, 511 and 513 E. Capitol Ave. and 101 Jackson St. - was recently acquired by the Jefferson City Housing Authority, acting as the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, as part of its mission to fight blighted areas in the city.
The homes are part of the Capitol Avenue Urban Renewal Plan approved by the Jefferson City Council in 2016 and are listed on the National Historic Register. The oldest, 507 E. Capitol Ave., was built in 1875; and the newest, 513 E. Capitol Ave., will be exactly 100 years old this year, having been built in 1920.
"We were shocked and very disappointed," JCHA Executive Director Cynthia Quetsch said of the lack of proposals for Ivy Terrace.
Built around 1893 for then-state Treasurer Lon Stephens, who later served as governor, the home has collected more than 120 years of history and boasts five to six bedrooms and six to seven bathrooms in its 5,943 square feet, along with a parlor area, kitchen, dining room, a third-story ballroom and basement space.
Donna Deetz, president of the Historic City of Jefferson, said the house includes some great features.
"It's a gorgeous place on the inside," Deetz said. "It's still got all the original tiles on the fireplaces, and it's a fantastic place."
The size of the house and the amount of work needed may be what is holding people back, especially as the city continues to recover from the May 22 tornado that also caused minor damage to Ivy Terrace.
"It's a very large project to take on, and with everything else that's been going on in town with the recovery from the tornado and everything else, it's probably just going to take folks a little bit longer to find a way to do it," Deetz said.
During the public viewing in November, many who toured the home were excited to finally see inside. A second public viewing was scheduled later in the month, and six parties signed up to tour the home privately with inspectors - making the lack of proposals all the more surprising to the Housing Authority.
"This is a great opportunity for someone to purchase and renovate a historical home," Quetsch said in a news release. "It is not too late to submit a proposal on this highly visible unique home."
The building at 101 Jackson St, at the corner of Jackson and East State streets, is a multi-family home. The three-story house was built as a duplex but has previously been used as a four-apartment complex and includes two covered porches, four bedrooms and four bathrooms, according to county records.
The JCHA announced Tuesday it would continue to seek proposals for 500 E. Capitol Ave. and 101 Jackson St. until one is accepted. Proposals will be reviewed by the LCRA at closed meetings, typically held at 7:30 a.m. the third Tuesday of each month. To be considered, proposals must be received by 10 a.m. the Tuesday before the meeting.
Proposals for redevelopment should include goals for the redevelopment of the property in compliance with the overlay district requirements, city code and zoning restrictions; use of the existing building or buildings as residential or commercial; start of the renovation within four months of the award and completion within 18 months; and occupancy within three months of completion of construction.
According to the Housing Authority, proposals will be evaluated based on proposed use, impact on the removal of blight in the area, the historical relevance of the use, the impact of the proposal on future renovations in the areas, financial stability of the developer, the developer's experience and reputation, and price.
The property of 500 E. Capitol Ave. will be open for inspection by potential redevelopers from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesday and by appointment after that. The property of 101 Jackson St. will be available for inspection by appointment only.
Visitors of either building are encouraged to wear masks due to the presence of mold, asbestos and peeling paint.
The redevelopers for 501, 507, 511 and 513 E. Capitol Ave. will be announced by the Housing Authority once contracts have been signed.
"We look forward to developing new partnerships, eliminating blight and keeping Jefferson City the wonderful place it is," Quetsch said.
Deetz said preserving these historical houses is about more than keeping the structures there.
"It's basically our story. It's how Jefferson City was settled," Deetz said. "It's the stories that go along with it. It's not so much the houses themselves but it's what they represent in our history. It's the folks who used to live there and all of their particular family histories."
Deetz is optimistic a developer will come.
"Somebody will come through, and it'll just be a showcase when they do," Deetz said. "We're progressing; it's just going to take a little bit of time. They weren't put in the condition that they were overnight, so it's going to take time to get them fixed up."
Historic City of Jefferson is expected to close this month on the purchase of the Parsons House, 105 Jackson St. - another property owned by the Housing Authority - and hopes to stabilize the property until it can be purchased by a redeveloper.