Francis and 5th streets in downtown St. Joseph will reopen Friday.

According to the City of St. Joseph, the contractor has made progress in the demolition of the Pioneer Building, and has
indicated the streets may possibly open yet Thursday.

The streets have been closed since the fire on November 21.

The sidewalk on the north side of Francis has already been opened up for public access, and businesses have resumed full operations.

“We are extremely pleased the businesses in the immediate area are able to reopen,” said Mary Robertson, communications manager for the
city of St. Joseph. “They have been closed since the fire on November 21, and their businesses have been affected as a result of inaccessibility by the public.”

Fire investigators will be on scene beginning Tuesday, December 27, to start the investigation into the cause of the fire. Once the fire investigation has concluded, the contractor, on behalf of the property owner, will resume complete demolition of the structure. During the course of the remaining demolition and clean-up of the debris, the contractor may request temporary lane closure permits to remove the debris from the property.