Pam Thornton has been trying for years to move her State Farm Insurance Agency office to the corner of Brentwood Boulevard and White Avenue. Her husband, Chris Thornton, said it could happen this year.
A vacant gas station occupied the corner until it was demolished in June 2013. The Thorntons have gone back and forth with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources three times since then trying to get the OK to build on the site.
At an open house on Saturday for Pam Thornton’s husband, Chris Thornton—who is running for mayor of Brentwood—said they’re now hoping to have approval by the summer.
He said after sending data to the state for a second time, “six months later they came back and said, we want this (different) data. Do you know how much it costs to get these drills out here?”
Thornton said the insurance company paying for the testing at first refused to cover a third test, saying the property is clean.
“Long story short, the insurance company backed down,” he said. “We finally gave them the additional data.” He said they submitted the report in November and haven’t heard back—so far—that the state wants any more data.