The St Joseph City Council has approved a contract for repairs on the Missouri Theater Complex, for damage caused by the fire in February.

The city will kick in more than 110-thousand dollars for the repairs of the A-to-Z Fresh Aire Fare health food store and the Pony Espresso coffee shop.

Insurance will cover most of the 564-thousand dollar repair bill.

A half dozen arts groups returned to the complex almost right away.

The most severe damage involved the two businesses and the space upstairs occupied by the Robidoux Resident Theater.

A squabble with the insurance company, and other bureaucratic delays have forestalled the repairs to that end of the building. Work by Lee Grover Construction was expected to begin right away.

The insurance settlement totaled $451,033. The city will chip in $35,000 from the general fund and another $77,981 from the cell phone settlement fund. Here’s a link to the emergency ordinance okaying the payments.