A committee of the Vermilion County Board has approved a resolution seeking to get rid of the former Vermilion County Annex Building.
‘’The County no longer has a need for it,’’ says County Board Chairman Mike Marron. He adds that by declaring the building surplus there are certain things in the building that could possibly be used elsewhere. Danville Township, for example, has expressed an interest in possibly getting some seating from the old County Board meeting room. The Property Committee agreed Monday evening to recommend the full County Board declare the building surplus.
Marron adds there is no formal process for what happens with the building once it is declared surplus – such as a long process the county went through in acquiring the former federal court building.
Marron also says the county may seek bids on what it would cost to demolish the former courthouse annex. County offices were earlier moved out of the annex because of concern about the condition of the vacant Bresee Tower. The annex wraps around Bresee Tower, and there were earlier concerns about bits of terra cotta falling off the outside of the Tower.
Historic Restorations, Inc., based in Alabama, had earlier accepted the challenge of restoring Bresee Tower. But Scottie Porter, Executive Director of the non-profit charitable organization, said in March that his company will not do anything in Danville until litigation filed by the City against his company is dropped. Porter had told VermilionCountyFirst.com News earlier that he was disappointed that the City of Danville decided to file suit against him, less than a week after his company accepted the challenge of restoring Bresee Tower.
But the City’s suit noted that Land Company of Danville, LLC. had failed or refused to adequately repair or otherwise put the building at 4 North Vermilion Street in Danville in a safe condition. And since Historic Restorations, Inc. is the parent company of Land Company of Danville, LLC., the City decided to proceed with legal action against Historic Restorations, Inc.
Both Bresee Tower and the former Courthouse Annex now sit empty in the heart of Danville’s downtown area.
