Joplin City board extends 1220 Northwest Murphy case as contractor secures building; officials flag insulation, trespassing

The Joplin City board on an unspecified meeting date voted to extend the case for 1220 Northwest Murphy Boulevard to its July 25 meeting after staff and a contractor reported progress securing the vacant industrial building.

Presenter (speaker 5) told the board that photographs of contractor work had been circulated and that the contractor had been retained in early June. "I believe that progress started this past Tuesday and they've been working each day this week," the presenter said, noting the photos are date‑ and time‑stamped and show before-and-after views used to determine the bid. The contractor listed in the packet was Cotton Construction and the bid shown was $18,450.

The contractor’s representative and another attendee (speaker 7) said crews began physical work on June 23 and have been focusing on the easier, lower sections of the buildings first. That speaker warned that homeless people had accessed the property and described a near confrontation: "they had a key to the gate," he said, and urged the police be asked to remove trespassers so crews can continue work.

Chief building official (speaker 10), who inspected the site on Wednesday with a subordinate, reported the team saw securing work in progress on one building but not yet to full permit standards. He reminded the board that the city’s vacant dangerous building permit—if issued after securing to code—would remove the property from the board for six months. On materials, the official said the board’s ordinance is "very specific on the material" and that the contractor’s panels did not appear to be the required exterior‑grade half‑inch plywood. "If they're used a quarter inch OSB, it is not going to last like half inch exterior grade plywood painted," the official said.

Board members discussed options to reduce trespass and protect workers, including filing a trespass affidavit with the police to give officers authority to arrest unauthorized people on the site; staff noted an earlier affidavit had helped reduce trespass incidents for a period. Speaker 7 said he would post no‑trespassing signs and that, barring rain, the contractor estimated about eight working days to fully secure the property.

During the discussion the presenter and others also raised cleanup and contamination questions tied to the site's history as the former EaglePicher building, including the presence of roughly "3,000 tons" of insulation inside that speaker said might require about 100 semitrailer loads to remove and could affect future redevelopment and remediation decisions.

Following the inspection update and discussion, Committee member (speaker 4) moved to continue item 3116, 1220 Northwest Murphy Boulevard, to the board’s July 25 meeting for a progress report and demolition hearing; the motion was seconded and the board carried it.

What happens next: staff will confirm with the contractor the materials being used to board openings, pursue trespass affidavits and signage with the police department, and report back at the July 25 meeting. The board discussed the city's vacant dangerous building permit as an option if the property is brought to permit standards.