Police Said: Property Owners Stall On Maintaining Abandoned 'Manor' Site Post-Fire

Chesterfield Manor, a former nursing home that has been abandoned for 13 years, is currently going through asbestos abatement to prepare for demolition.

The asbestos abatement process must be completed before demolition can happen.

Josh Shindler, the attorney for owners Tom and Adele Daake, said he believes the old nursing home will be torn down, but wasn't able to reach either owner for comment.

Curtis Krusie, a code enforcement officer with the Chesterfield Police Department, confirmed it would be demolished, but said he didn't know when.

The Daakes agreed to demolish the property at 14001 Olive Blvd. after to begin the process of tearing the building down.

Shindler was not able to reach the Daakes for comment. 

The nursing home has seen many visitors since it closed in 1998. Police have been called to the property more than 200 times since 2002—about 80 of those calls involved trespassing. It’s easy to get on the property, according to recent resident complaints, because some parts of it are left open.

It doesn't help there are rumors the building is haunted.

(See recent article about police activity at the Manor site.)

A large fire on Aug. 17, 2010 seriously damaged the central structure and roof, likely heightening the danger that someone could be injured on the property.

It’s not clear how the fire started, but it’s believed it was arson.

Monarch Fire Protection District and St. Louis County jointly declared the building unsafe afterwards.

“We were concerned that the structure was weakened," Monarch Fire Marshal Herin said. "We helped confirm it.”

But after it was declared unsafe, the Daakes hired an engineering firm to assess the fire’s damage, Shindler said. The firm, SSC Engineering Inc., made recommendations to stabilize the building, which included drilling holes into the roof so rainwater wouldn't pool there and using two-by-six feet long wood studs to support it. In a letter, the firm stressed the fixes were only temporary.

"It is SSC's recommendation that the structure should continue to be monitored for changes, particularly after rainfall or heavy snow,” the letter stated.

Despite problems and controversy over the building, Monarch and the city are not required to make sure the building is up to code, since it is abandoned.

"There’s really not much to inspect since it’s not occupied," Herin said. "It’s kind of difficult to contact the owners."

On Nov. 19, 2010, the Daakes and Shindler met with city staff to discuss the property. Krusie said that at that meeting the Daakes outlined a plan to develop the site and agreed to a timeline for abatement of property maintenance and public nuisance violations.

"Since that time, no work has been done to honor this agreement, and the property continues to deteriorate," Krusie said in a May 16 memo to Police Lt. Dave Ray.

In early June, Chesterfield City Council members voted unanimously to begin the administrative process of having the nursing home demolished. At the time, city attorney Rob Heggie said the process—which could have involved a hearing—might have taken at least two or three months and cost the city an estimated $280,000.

But, the Daakes agreed to foot the cost of demolition.

At one time, the Daakes hoped to restore Chesterfield Manor and re-open a nursing home. Shindler said and he didn't know why it was abandoned. 

A 1998 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article said the operators, Homar Enterprises Inc., blamed the closing on a long-running dispute with the Daakes and nine years of litigation.

The nursing home was built in 1964 and needed repairs at the time, according to the article.