Crews Begin Cleanup After Historic Building Collapses In Muskogee

Tonight, crews in Muskogee are working to clean up the pieces of a historic building that partially collapsed overnight. The city had to turn off power to much of its downtown as workers act quickly to demolish what's left of the landmark.

One Muskogee resident after another stopped by to see the remnants of the building along Main Street that crumbled to the ground late last night. Everyone seems to have a similar response: utter shock.

Muskogee Police were near Main and Court Street just before midnight last night when Sergeant Bryan Wilkins heard something falling inside the Royal Casket building. Officers blocked off roads near the building just before the southwest corner came down spilling into parts of the road and blocking Main Street and the Callahan bridge overpass.

"I said, it's gonna fall and eventually it did," said Johnny Corter.

Muskogee natives Johnny Corter and Jerry Washington just had to see for themselves what's left of the building that dates back to 1900.

"Historic landmark that's been around forever and parents and grandparents and all of them remember when it was a thriving business. But it's gone now," said Jerry Washington.

"Time caught up with this building," said Mayor Marlon Coleman.

The city said the backside of the building collapsed in 2016. Mayor Coleman told us the building's last inspection was at least 5 years ago when it was condemned and said it landed in bankruptcy court.

"Bankruptcies in terms of structures become a problem to deal with in terms of assets as a matter of court record," said Mayor Coleman.

Now the City of Muskogee has worked to demolish what's left of the historic building. Coleman said the threat to public safety means the city had to act fast. Coleman is grateful no one was inside at the time of the collapse.

"In the 13 or 14 years that I've been in office it's been tragedy after tragedy, but the good people of Muskogee make certain that we go on. And we're gonna go on from here and be better," said Mayor Coleman.

Some residents said they hope the community will be able to better preserve its long-standing history going forward.

"It's sad to see it go but you know it's got to go," said Corter.

"It is what it is," said Washington.