Engineering Firm to Assess Bighill Furniture Store

The Bighill Furniture Store in Fairfax is meaningful to many people across Osage County. It has been damaged by a tornado and is need of repair or else the county commissioners will be forced to demolish the building. None of the commissioners want to see the building get demolished, but they all disagree on the best way to salvage the building. District One Commissioner Kevin Pasley believes there is great potential in the building, but there first needs to be thorough research done on the building.


District One Commissioner Randall Jones says if the county is to assume responsibility of the building, it opens them up to liability issues and will cost money that they don't have.


Fairfax resident Carol Conner believes the commissioners should properly research a way to satisfy everyone involved.


Terry Loftis of J&L Associates wanted to remind the commissioners that at the end of the day, the retaining wall holding the structure up is only meant to last for six months. Loftis said we are nearing that six month limit.


The commissioners decided to hire an engineer to make an assessment of the building and see what kind of shape the building is in. That assessment will cost $1,000 and he should be able to start by Wednesday. The bid packets that the commissioners opened for engineering firms to demolish the building were rejected.