Just days after the Kosciusko Board of Aldermen approved a payment of $56,652.90 to Ralph McKnight and Son Construction for work on the Mississippi Native American Museum on the south side of the square, part
of an exterior wall collapsed and a portion of the roof on the old Leonard’s building caved in.
Work has been temporarily halted while the location is evaluated further.
Hollis Cheek, president of the Attala County Community Foundation, and Art Cook, associate architect on the project, said an assessment will have to be made before work can continue.
Structural architect Jason McQueen of Madison was on the scene Friday and a forensic engineer will also be contacted for an assessment, according to Cook.
“We need to determine the cause of the current collapse and to see if that condition is prevalent in other areas of the building,” Cook said.
Canizaro, Cawthon, Davis of Jackson is the architectural firm for the project, and Ralph McKnight & Son Construction was hired to begin the renovation of the building, the former Leonard’s Dept. Store.
Prior to the collapse, the front façade was removed along with interior fixtures.
Use of the sidewalk across the front of the building has been discontinued and South Madison Street along the west side of the building will remain closed until a determination is made on the stability of the wall that suffered the partial collapse.
