Mizzou North building to be torn down by January 2024 in $10 million demolition project

Kevin Graeler, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
The former Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital now known as Mizzou North at 115 Business Loop 70 W is planned to be demolished to cut costs of operating the building.
The former Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital now known as Mizzou North at 115 Business Loop 70 W is planned to be demolished to cut costs of operating the building.

The University of Missouri plans to tear down the Mizzou North building on Business Loop 70 by January 2024 under a $10 million demolition plan approved Wednesday by the UM System Board of Curators.

The project will be funded by MU as part of its Strategic Space Reduction Plan.

The curators voted during their meeting at University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Mizzou North, originally the Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital when it opened in 1940 on what was then Highway 40, has annual operating costs of $1.25 million and about $55 million in maintenance requirements, the university said. The building has "extremely high facility needs and low occupancy," states a project memo.

More: University of Missouri to demolish Mizzou North building but keep the property

The 223,000 gross-square-foot facility became the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in 2004. The cancer center moved to a $190 million, eight-story expansion of MU Hospital in 2010.

The building most recently housed the Museum of Art & Archaeology and Museum of Anthropology collections. Those are being moved to Ellis Library on the main campus, MU spokesperson Christian Basi said in January.

The school initially intended to sell the property but never officially put it on the market, Basi said at the time.

"We felt we wanted to keep the land," Basi said, adding there had been no decision about a future use. "We are going to demolish the building. It's an important piece of property to hold on to for right now."

Ryan Rapp, UM System chief financial officer, brought the Mizzou North plan before the curators Wednesday as part of a list of capital projects up for approval, including repairs to the Virginia Avenue Parking Structure.

"Given the size of (Mizzou North), it's over that threshold where we will need board approval to move forward," Rapp said of the demolition.

Mizzou North and Virginia Avenue Parking Structure were among a dozen projects among the four system campuses to receive unanimous consent from the curators.

As part of the Mizzou North demolition, the single-story block garage adjacent to the main building also will be torn down.

The demolition will "abate hazardous materials from the building and disconnect all utilities prior to demolition," the project plan states. "The site will be graded, site lighting reconnected, and parking lot restored to pre-demolition condition."

PWArchitects, Inc. of Columbia has been selected as the architect for the project.

"Since this project is off campus and connected to city utilities, a local firm was desired," the plan states.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou North to be torn down by January 2024 in $10 million demolition