The Washington Historic Preservation Commission met in regular session on Monday and approved the demolition of the Smouse House 321 S. Iowa Avenue citing its long term vacancy, safety hazards, and the current estimate that it would cost over $1.5 million to renovate.

Jeff Hazelett, an associate at the Elliott Realty Group who owns the Smouse House property explains why the building is being put up for demolition. 

“We felt like that it was one of the best locations in all of Washington; we knew the house had been deteriorating for years. The price of it finally became right so we purchased it. We were then informed that a couple of businesses possibly wanted to move into there, so we worked over two years trying to raise enough money to renovate it. At the end of the day it has deteriorated to a point where it is no longer economically feasible to renovate it.” 

The official demolition permit will have to be approved by City Council and the building will have to be removed from the National Historical Registry. If you would like more information about the current progression of the demolition plans you can contact the City Clerk’s Office.