Demolition begins on portion of collapsed Lemp Brewery building
ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) - Crews have begun work taking down part of a building at the Lemp Brewery complex that collapsed in February due to extreme cold.
The structure, originally built to house a hops kiln, has suffered from structural issues for several years, causing concern among neighborhood groups.
Sarah Ulrich, the vice president of the Marine Villa Neighborhood Association, said she had repeatedly noticed falling bricks and cracks in the brick walls of the structure. The western side of the building collapsed in 2020, destroying hundreds of bicycles belonging to St. Louis BWorks.
Ulrich had previously been a tenant at the brewing complex as well, and has been a vocal critic of its owner, Shashi Palamand, who she blames for a lack of upkeep at the site.
“You’d think if you loved history and your historic property you’d pay more attention to it,” she said.
Palamand declined an on-camera interview with First Alert 4 but described the kilning structure as a persistent problem in an otherwise stable complex. Palamand said he made many attempts to stabilize the structure as the owner that included new floors and roof, anchor bolts and masonry work. He said he had spent more than $1.2 million on that building alone.
“Unfortunately, its original design was highly problematic and vulnerable to collapse due to its lack of internal structure, use of soft brick on its lower floors, and original operation as a kiln with extreme heat and cold cycles,” Palamand wrote. “Sadly it was left to deteriorate for over 75 years by its former owner, the defunct International Shoe Co. The recent arctic blasts were the final blow, causing further collapse.”
Palamand said that the demolition of the east wing was for safety reasons, but that crews would leave the center portion of the building intact for now in hopes of taking further steps to stabilize it for future use.
Throughout the day several neighbors stopped by to watch the demolition. Katie Heptig, an architectural intern, had previously written about the brewery for a master’s thesis and wanted to take photos. She said she believed many of the structural issues stemmed from an early expansion the Lemp family had done more than a century ago that added a third floor without a sufficient floor structure to it.
“It’d be really cool if it could be something the community could enjoy,” Heptig said. “We want to preserve everything but we have to realize it’s just not always feasible.”
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