Columbia’s historic homes — literally homes — are in danger. An 1837 building, now functioning as an apartment building, is in the sights of a developer. The plan is to demolish the building, the Niedermeyer Building at Tenth and Cherry streets in downtown Columbia and replace it with a 15-story apartment building.
Voices from both sides of the spectrum – from tear it down to keep it — have spoken out in response to this Jan. 4, 2013 Columbia Missourian newspaper article on the Niedermeyer Apartment building.
The article notes that the Columbia Historic Preservation Commission supports the idea of putting the demolition permit on hold for six months. According to reports, the Niedermeyer has served as an all-girls private school, a hotel, university classrooms and now residential housing.
For more information on the historic area of downtown Columbia, here is the National Register of Historic Places document outlining the Downtown Columbia Historic District, with information on the Niedermeyer.