The Danville City Council Public Works Committee has passed on to the full Council a $38,000 agreement for the Farnsworth Group out of Champaign to assess the Downtown Adams Building at 139 & 141 North Vermilion. The consensus is that this historic building is salvageable, perhaps for a future residential and business combination. But there’s a lot of debris and a definite roof leak.
Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk says now that the building’s current owner has allowed them to do this evaluation, the city plans to act fast and get it started this spring.
AUDIO: There is a reason to believe that this structure is salvageable. We have no idea what that would cost. That’s why we’re going to bring in the experts to tell us what it will cost. So hopefully we can avoid demolition of a real landmark of downtown.
Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr also reflected on the importance of saving this building. And he pointed out that demolition would be especially expensive, due to the complications of adjoining walls with other buildings.
AUDIO: The history of the building; the architecture of the building; it’s a gem. Even with the junk in it, you can still see the promise. And overall, except for that one roof area that’s a problem, the building’s in good shape. So we’ve got to save this while we still can.
(1st Picture) Danville Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk (second from right) explains the Adams Building situation. (2nd Picture) The Downtown Danville Adams Building. (3rd Picture) Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr addresses the Public Works Committee.
Also during Tuesday (March 12th) evening’s committee meeting, the reallocation of $500,000 in ARPA COVID relief funding was passed on to the full Council. The funding had been planned for the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation’s planned Federally Qualified Health Center at the old St. Elizabeth Hospital site. SIHF still plans to build it, but not within the time frame where they could use the ARPA funding.
$275,000 of the half-million is planned to go to the David S. Palmer Arena Board to help purchase a new HVAC system. $170,000 of it will add to the ARPA funding already allocated to the new Garfield Park. As City Engineer Sam Cole points out; yes, the pool’s opening is still planned for this year, but now other park projects may be able to speed up a bit.
AUDIO: Moving all those dirt piles all over the park to the right spots. Reseeding all the grass, having the football field in place; hopefully doing some drainage improvements. And also doing sidewalks, possible fencing to the extent that the budgets will allow. And then, next steps are find funding for the playground equipment.
Also passed on to the full City Council was an adjustment in garbage pick-up fees, which mostly had to do with increases in “small set-out fees.” Mayor Williams says some residents and businesses were taking advantage of low set-out fees by putting out small pick-ups several times a week or even several days in a row. The increases are designed to discourage that.