Restore the Corner initiative brings more housing to Hannibal

HANNIBAL (WGEM) - A group of developers want to bring more housing a stone’s throw away from downtown Hannibal. They’ve dubbed their motto: “Restore the Corner.”

It refers to the corner of 4th and Bird Streets. That’s where you’ll find some of the city’s oldest homes, including one of its first brick structures built in the 1800s. It hasn’t been remodeled in 50 years, but that’s about to change.

Developers plan to restore the historical nine-unit apartment building, along with two blue houses across the street.

”That way all four corners can be really good looking some day in the next time in the next few years,” said one of the owners Stephan Franke. “This is a really good intersection because it connects the great success of downtown Hannibal to some of the successes that are just further up the street on Bird Street”

Matt and Cindy Plahuta who own the white brick building on Bird Street said they also bought and fully restored a three-story structure on 412 North Street. They’re renting it out through Air BNB.

“We had ceilings falling in all kinds of things going on,” said Cindy Plahuta. “We redid the electrical, the plumbing, the drywall, the kitchen, the bathroom, new roof--we pretty much remodeled the entire house from top to bottom, and furnished it.”

Renovations on the homes at 4th and Bird Streets are expected to be finished by this time next year.

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