East St. Louis residents say falling bricks from building pose danger

Bricks and hunks of concrete have been falling from the historic and long-vacant Spivey Building on Missouri Avenue, posing a danger to people, especially children, who work and play in the area, residents complain.

Last week, several cars parked outside the Mixon Insurance Agency, 210 Collinsville Ave., were damaged when multiple bricks and lots of debris came tumbling down from atop the Spivey Building.

But the greater concern is that children or elderly people could be killed or seriously injured. Residents who live and work in the area asked why the city isn’t doing more to fix the problem. They asked not to be identified, saying they feared for their safety.

One man, who works for the city Public Works Department, said the building has posed a danger for years.

The Rev. Johnny Scott, former head of the local chapter of the NAACP, wants something done immediately about what he calls a dangerous situation.

“This didn’t just start this year or last. It has been going on for several years. My concern is for the citizens of the community. If one stone would hit a citizen, it would either kill them or severely injure them. But, it seems nobody is concerned about the general public, including the children and elderly who live in the city,” Scott said.

Scott’s accounting and tax service office is located inside the Mixon Insurance building. He often parks on the parking lot to the business and sometimes walks to and from the office building with his clients and friends.

The Spivey Building, a 12-story building in downtown East St. Louis, is located at 417 Missouri Avenue. It was built in 1927 and is the only high-rise ever built in East St. Louis. It was designed in the commercial style by architect Albert B. Frankel. It was an office building and the site of the old State Community College. It has been vacant since the early 1980s.

The building belongs to a St. Louis businessman, Stacy Hastie, who obtained it in 2006. Efforts to reach Hastie for comment were unsuccessful.

Former East St. Louis Mayor Alvin L. Parks Jr. said Hastie got the building as part of a settlement for asbestos not being cleaned out of the building. Parks said Hastie is looking to sell it to a developer. Parks said during his tenure as mayor he had several conversations with Hastie about maintenance of his property.

“Stacy understands that he bears responsibility to make sure his building is safe,” Parks said.

City Manager Courtney Logan said as soon as city officials learned of the situation, steps were taken to secure the area to prevent any injuries. A barricade was placed in front of the building by the fire department.

“There is only so much the city can do legally when it involves a privately-owned business,” Logan said. He said he has reached out to Hastie and has not heard back from him. Logan said the city is taking the matter seriously and will continue reaching out to Hastie and urging him to do something to make the building safe.

Scott doesn’t think this is enough to protect the people.

“Many motorists travel this route when coming through East St. Louis going to and from work. And we were very fortunate that no one was out there when the bricks and debris started falling from the top of the building onto the street. Several cars that were parked on the parking lot were damaged and thankfully no human beings.” Scott said.

“I don’t know whether the city, the county or the owner or responsible. But something needs to be done to rid the community of this danger immediately.”

As he surveyed the grounds outside, the look on Scott’s face was one that showed he was clearly disturbed over the condition. He said he has called the mayor’s office, the city manager’s office and the Department of Regulatory Affairs seeking answers about what can be done to ensure safety for the citizens and motorists who travel through the city every day.

Efforts to reach Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks were unsuccessful.

Parks said city officials have provided barricades to make sure nobody gets hurt.

“Somebody is going to have to secure his (Hastie’s) building until he sells it,” Parks said.

In the 1950s the building was where top professionals in the city located their offices. But the building fell victim to the steep economic decline in East St. Louis and has been abandoned for many decades, Parks said.

“There were several law offices in the Spivey Building, and a bowling alley in the basement,” Parks said, recalling the building’s vibrant days. “There were several offices reflecting the different businesses that were in the city. That was a major hub for commerce in the city.”

The Spivey Building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 17, 2002.

This story was originally published January 20, 2017 at 2:37 PM with the headline "East St. Louis residents say falling bricks from building pose danger."