Some local leaders say they are excited about the potential future of Danville’s Bresee Tower. Mayor Scott Eisenhauer and County Board Chairman Mike Marron say they met last week with Chris and Jeri Collins, the building’s new owners.
Marron says he was told the Collins are also interested in acquiring the former Vermilion County Courthouse Annex. And Mayor Eisenhauer adds he appreciates the fact the couple is looking not just at Bresee Tower – ‘’but the downtown as a whole and have some wonderful plans for accompanying amenities which would be terrific to see. They also plan to address the exterior of the building very quickly which we are happy to see completed,’’ added the Mayor.
[This photo shows part of a ceiling inside Bresee Tower.]
Mayor Eisenhauer says it is believed the new owners have a plan for Bresee Tower ‘’which would be a great boost for, not only downtown, but the city as a whole.’’ And the Danville Mayor says he is hopeful the Collins have the financial resources to make it all a reality.
County Board Chairman Marron agrees, saying while he is excited about the potential for development, he wants to make sure there is a valid plan with the financial backing to get the job done.
And since the Collins are also interested in the old courthouse annex, Marron says the county may have to go through a process to see whether it is worth anything. If it is, Marron believes it will be a very nominal amount.
VermilionCountyFirst.com News also asked Mayor Eisenhauer whether the city might now take legal action against the new owners of Bresee Tower because of repairs needed to the exterior of the building. ‘’The City’s legal action has always been, and continues to be, against the corporation, not the individual owner of the Tower,’’ replied the Mayor. ‘’At this time, to our knowledge, the Collins’ own only the building, and are not affiliated with the corporation in any way. There is no immediate plan to terminate the lawsuit against the corporation, but we will review which components of the suit are still in question,’’ he added.
But Mayor Eisenhauer says he and County Board Chairman Marron found last week’s meeting with the new Bresee owner ‘’to be very fruitful.’’
