3:40 pm Wednesday: Demolition begins at former home of Emporia Rescue Mission
A tentative plan well over a decade in the making is finally coming to fruition.
Demolition began Wednesday at 1119 Merchant, most recently the home of the Emporia Rescue Mission. This is the latest step in giving Kwik Shop enough space for a long-planned expansion. In fact, Rescue Mission Director Lee Alderman tells KVOE News conversations began as early as 2005 about Kwik Shop buying the house — although the Rescue Mission began seriously searching for a new location in 2010 and a tentative agreement wasn’t announced until several years ago.
The 2.5-story house was built in 1910, according to Lyon County records, and had nearly 3,800 square feet of livable space. Besides the request to sell the house, Alderman says the Merchant Street location wasn’t handicapped-accessible, making it difficult to serve an increasing population of men needing those accommodations in addition to needing a short-term place to stay.
The Rescue Mission moved into the former Amend Girl Scout Center at 12th and Burlingame last year.
EG America, Kwik Shop’s owner, has not said how long the demolition process will take or how long the expansion work will take.
