Board orders lender and buyer to finalize sale and secure former American Fibrex site or face demolition

The Joplin Board of Appeals on the May agenda pressed a lender and a prospective buyer to show they can protect public safety at a former industrial site before permitting a sale to proceed.

Jim Sanders, an attorney for the lender and servicer, told the board the 20-acre property at 1220 Northwest Murphy Boulevard — the former American Fibrex facility — was being sold "as is" for $365,000 and that the buyer expects signatures in the next week or two and a 45-day close. "That sale would be for $365,000 as is," Sanders said.

Neighbors and board members said the building has become a public-safety concern. "It's become a homeless hangout," a nearby resident told the board, urging the city not to "sit here month after month and wait for a sale." City staff also told the panel that the building division first visited and posted the structure as dangerous on May 6, 2024, after attempts to contact owners produced no meaningful action. "The first time the building division ever visited this site was on 05/06/2024," a staff speaker said.

Board members debated options including immediate demolition, ordering repairs, or a temporary suspension of a demolition order tied to date-certain conditions. The lender's lawyer asked for a continuance while negotiations finish; the lender and the buyer's representative said the buyer had inspected the site multiple times and intends to proceed if the sale closes.

Board members repeatedly emphasized that securing the site to city standards — not merely perimeter fencing — must happen quickly. City staff described ordinance-level securing steps (plywood secured with lag bolts and other measures) and said those measures typically stop unauthorized access.

After extended discussion the board voted to require a fully executed purchase agreement that includes written commitments on securing the property by June 13 and gave the parties until the June 27 meeting for a progress report and a demolition hearing. The order also requires the property to be secured to city standards within 30 days; staff will review documentation and may call an emergency hearing if the board's conditions are not met.

Representatives for the lender said they would work to meet the deadlines and that potential buyers understand the costs and liabilities involved. The board’s action leaves the property on a short timeline: secure the site and produce a signed contract, or the board will move forward with demolition options.

The board’s decision was a voice vote; members approved the motion and continued the item to the June 27 meeting for follow-up.