Charleston signs off on spending over $600,000 to demolish King Street building following roof collapse

A long-vacant building on King Street that partially collapsed on Halloween is now officially slated for demolition, with work expected to begin as early as Nov. 14, according to city spokesperson Deja Knight McMillan. The structure at 1001 King St., which sits beside Rodney Scott’s BBQ and tightly against a small apartment building, has been a concern since residents next door were forced to evacuate amid fears the weakened structure could give way at any moment.

The collapse on Oct. 31 involved part of the roof and the building’s upper brick façade. Ken Granata, the city’s chief building official, explained that severe termite damage had compromised the gable roof trusses, pushing out a section of the second-story wall and leaving the entire structure unstable. As a result, King Street has remained closed between Grove and Francis streets to both vehicles and pedestrians, and will stay shut down until the demolition is finished. City officials have not yet released a full timeline for the project.

On Nov. 12, City Council unanimously approved the demolition and allocated $612,344 to complete the work, contracting DECO to carry it out. Councilman William Tinkler noted that the estimate includes a buffer for potential repairs to the neighboring apartment building should it sustain damage during demolition, though he hopes the final cost will be lower. Complicating matters, the city has still been unable to locate the current owners of the property.

Although county records list St. Johns Masonic Temple Lodge as the owner since 1981, tax records show only a single payment made since 2020. City Attorney Julia Copeland said outreach to national Masonic groups has turned up no one with ties to the former Charleston lodge. To recover the costs of demolition, the city plans to place liens on the property, and if no owner emerges, it may move toward foreclosure and recoup expenses through the eventual sale.