The out-of-state owner of a historic downtown building in Whitewood will have until about the end of the month to sign over ownership to a nonprofit group that must move to stabilize and repair the structure.

The Whitewood City Council extended that offer this week, which would delay the council's demolition order for the former Hole in the Wall bar. The local saloon had that name long before a real hole developed in the west exterior stone wall as some of the building material collapsed earlier this month.

The building recently has been inactive, used for storage. The hole has not gotten larger, but some building contractors and others fear the wall could fall any time or that a storm could take the whole building down.

Chris Chillers, a Whitewood area resident who is active in building construction and design, said he believes the building needs to be stabilized before the first snow falls this year. He approached the Whitewood council with ideas about saving the 1905 structure.

The Preserve South Dakota program provides a range of educational and technical services to protect and preserve South Dakota treasures. Chillers said representatives of the state program and the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission are interested in seeing the building restored.

Chillers said finding a nonprofit organization or group to buy the building and take on the restoration is urgent. The owner, Chad Junkers, has indicated he will not repair the building. The time the City of Whitewood had given him to act has passed, and the city has a demolition order in effect.

"Chad has indicated through a Realtor that demolition costs would be high," Chillers said.

It was proposed that Junkers sign the deed over to a nonprofit organization.

Signing over the deed would benefit both parties. Junkers would receive the tax benefit and save the cost of demolition. It would also save a historic downtown building.

Chillers said the city's demolition order "is a ticking time bomb."

The council agreed to give Junkers 10 business days to provide a quit-claim deed for the property. After that, assuming there is no further deterioration of the building, the city will give the new owner additional time to stabilize the building.

Meanwhile, the building is barricaded.

"My concern with the building is strictly a safety issue," said Whitewood building inspector Marty O'Dea.