Missouri State Historical Society considers new home
City could invoke eminent domain to build historical museum downtown.
Published Feb. 12, 2009
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The property located between Fifth and Sixth streets on Elm Street, where Bengal's Bar and Grill is located, is at the center of a dispute regarding a new location for a museum for the Missouri State Historical Society, located in the basement of Ellis Library.
A proposed site just outside of the MU campus for a museum to house the Missouri State Historical Society has caused friction among property owners and city officials.
The proposed site for the museum encompasses one city block, bordered by Fifth and Sixth streets on the west and the east and Elm and Locust streets on the north and south, which houses Bengal's Bar and Grill, a laundromat, a residence and an MU staff parking lot.
SHS operates out of the basement out of Ellis Library.
City officials have discussed the possibility of using eminent domain to acquire the land for the building of a museum for the society.
Assistant City Manager Tony St. Romaine said he hopes the situation will be resolved quickly. He said the city reserves the right use eminent domain to acquire the property, but said the city will continue to bring discussion between the property owners and SHS.
"Talks between the two sides are continuing and progressing fairly well," St. Romaine said.
First Ward Councilman Paul Sturtz said that the process, while a lengthy one, has the potential to be beneficial to the city of Columbia.
"The building of the museum is on the city's to-do list," Sturtz said. "I know that the city of Columbia is excited to have the museum downtown. However, we do not know if the land will be acquired by eminent domain."
The city has taken a few steps back from the situation to allow negotiations between SHS and the owners of the properties that would be affected by the construction of the museum.
The issue was to be discussed at the Feb. 2 meeting of the Columbia City Council, but was removed from the agenda after a request from SHS. City spokeswoman Toni Messina said a date to discuss the issue in another council meeting has not been set.
SHS President Doug Crews said the organization requested the issue be removed from the Council agenda because it would be inappropriate to discuss the matter publicly before an official offer had been presented to the landowners.
He said the organization could not make an offer on the property until the state budget picture becomes clearer.
"The state budget is a moving target right now," Crews said. "We respect that times are tough in Jefferson City."
SHS was allocated $1.6 million in the 2009 fiscal year, but Gov. Jay Nixon has proposed an allocation of $1.4 million for 2010.
Julie Rader, who owns Bengal's Bar and Grill with her husband Jack, said they have given SHS until May 1 to make an offer on their property, at which point they will cease their participation in the negotiations.
Julie Rader said the threat of eminent domain has made it hard to run the business, as they have been reluctant to make any additions or improvements to the property if they were just going to lose it eventually.
"They back you into a corner just with the threat of it," she said.
Last June, the Missouri House approved a $600,000 appropriation to MU for the planning and designing of a new SHS building.
Columbia is not the only city that has been considered for the new museum.
Since some historical content is located in Jefferson City, some state legislators have proposed the museum be built in the state's capital.
Others believe the SHS would be better-utilized if it remains in Columbia, where MU students and faculty could take advantage of its resources.
St. Romaine says that keeping SHS in Columbia is "critical."
"If the museum were to be built in Jefferson City, it would be a huge loss for Columbia," he said. "The society's assets are used daily by faculty, students and even local citizens."
