Cleanup work became apparent Friday at the site of a pair of downtown buildings that collapsed two and a half years ago.

Antique Wood and Brick of Mississippi is under contract with owners Preston and Mary Reuther. The contract, signed in June, follows years of legal wrangling between the Reuthers and the city.

According to the agreement, which was approved by Circuit Judge Isadore Patrick June 17, the contracted company has 18 months to complete debris removal, backfill the vacant lot to sidewalk level and provide drainage.

A worker at the site, who did not wish to be identified, estimated it would take about 30 months to clear the site. The same man said workers had been inside the building working for nearly six weeks.

The buildings at 707, 709, 711 and 713 Clay St. collapsed on Jan. 25, 2006, while workers were pressure washing the interior in preparation for remodeling the 140-year-old structures. Twenty-three workers escaped just before the collapse.

In the summer of 2006, the Reuthers hired Antique Wood and Brick to take the buildings apart brick by brick, but the city ordered the work be stopped. That ignited a two-year legal battle over the fate of the buildings. Mayor Laurence Leyens wanted the buildings to be stabilized, while the Reuthers were adamant about having them demolished.

Multiple calls to City Attorney Nancy Thomas and Antique Wood and Brick owner Bill Greenwood were not returned Friday afternoon.