2009 Year in Review

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The Brick Block - 101 West Main Street Report

Because of the City Attorney's concerns about the ongoing legal action related to the building at 101 West Main Street, the City Council has not been able to fully share information with our citizens about the process. With many of those legal issues behind us, we would like to take this opportunity to provide the community with information and status of activities concerning this building.

First and foremost, it is important to understand that in dealing with this unexpected event, the City has been guided by four key principles:

1. The protection of the health, safety, and economic welfare of the public in a timely manner.

2. Respect the rights of the property owner and follow the intent and letter of the law in all proceedings to rectify an unsafe situation.

3. Pursue solutions in a cost-effective manner and minimize or eliminate the need for use of local tax dollars.

4. Maintain the long term business fabric of the downtown, realizing that a viable building is better than an empty lot (a view supported by economic development professionals and community input).

Demolition of the building was always a solution in consideration, but it was complicated by the fact that all three building sections of the "Brick Block" building: 101, 103, and 105-107 West Main Street are one structural unit owned by three different individuals. In the professional analysis of the building's condition provided by the City's engineer and contractors, it was estimated that the cost of tearing down 101 and providing adequate support for the remaining buildings would be $371.000, which is more than the $360,000 cost projected for rebuilding 101.

The City entered into an ownership agreement for 101 out of necessity. The City found no evidence that the building's owner was assuming responsibility for the state of the building. The owner's inaction strongly suggested that the City would be ultimately responsible for the disposition of the building. Ownership provided the City with flexibility to deal with the issue and a way of speeding up the emergency stabilization process that was bound up in legal action.

At the present time the repair of this building as a viable place of business is the most cost-effective alternative for dealing with this incident. We are investigating, along with structural engineers, contractors, and economic professionals, the various scenarios to do so at minimum to no cost to our taxpayers. This investigation meshes well with our guiding principle to maintain the health, safely and economic viability of our unique downtown assets.

These principles and directions were not adopted in isolation, in haste or without forethought. They are a result of the collective Community Vision Goals developed in 2007 through the Western Illinois University, Management and Planning Programs in Non-Metropolitan Groups (MAPPING). MAPPING included extensive input and involvement from a diverse group of over 100 Morrison citizens from all sectors of our community. The maintenance and economic preservation of the downtown area was determined to be a high priority of the MAPPING program. This position was earlier supported by community input related to the development of the Morrison Comprehensive Plan of 2002.

Prior to the events leading to the collapse of the east wall of 101 West Main, the City had begun to explore ways to stabilize and improve both the structures and the livelihood of businesses in the downtown. We think it is in the community's interest to investigate ways to help business and building owners help themselves. The City developed a relationship and entered into a development agreement with Peoples Economic Development Corporation, a corporation whose business goal is helping communities deal with economic development and preservation issues. Peoples was attracted to Morrison because we have a unique and historic business district, and Morrison is one of ten Illinois communities selected as demonstration communities to receive funding and technical assistance for the economic revitalization of our downtown business district. Peoples agreed that the exterior restoration of 101 West Main would be a good first project for which they can obtain support for federal grant funding. We have ample reason to think and have been so assured, that through this relationship we will receive a grant in the amount of $370,000 for the reconstruction of the exterior of 101 West Main Street, and receive future assistance for the development of the interior. If we demolish 101, we will not receive this funding, and future assistance to help other businesses make the necessary critical repairs to their buildings will be seriously imperiled.

The former Director of Economic Development Programs for the Illinois State Treasurer and the former Director and CEO of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency are the principals for Peoples Economic Development Corporation in Illinois. Their team includes experts in the areas of architecture, planning, finance, economic development, municipal management, banking, geography and mapping.

The Mayor and City Council of the City of Morrison have developed initiatives to better develop a community relationship with its businesses.

1. On Wednesday, July 15th, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. in the Community Room of the Odell Library, the Chamber of Commerce is hosting a panel-format question and answer session with both Chamber of Commerce and City officials. All interested business owners are encouraged to attend and to submit their questions.

2. The City is forming a business advisory commission. This idea has been in planning and the concept was approved by the City Council at its June 22nd meeting. The purpose of this committee is to create a direct relationship with the business community and to jointly work together.

3. The City is moving its Council meetings to a larger, more welcoming, and more accessible venue in the Community room beginning with its regular meeting Monday. July 13, at 7 p.m.

Following is a timeline detailing the activities associated with 101 West Main Street.

August 2008
A local business owner and a city employee noticed that there were recent cracks in the east wall of 101 West Main Street. After an investigation by the City's Code Enforcement Officer, and with the permission of the property owner, the City retained a structural engineer to inspect the building.

September 2008
The engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner (WJE) of Northbrook, Illinois presented a written report to the City and the building owner confirming that the cast wall was severely deteriorated, was pulling away from the second floor joists and was in imminent danger of collapse, imperiling the structural integrity of the buildings at 101 and 103 West Main Street. The deterioration stemmed in large part from calculated continuous neglect of maintenance, especially of the roof, by the owner of 101 for over a decade. The City ordered the building vacated and directed the owner to stabilize the building. The City set up a temporary barrier to keep people and vehicles away from the potential fall zone as recommended by WJE. The occupants of 101 and 103 did vacate the premises.

October, November, December 2008
It should be noted that during the fall of 2008 the City endeavored to work with the building owner and did obtain quotes and estimates from contractors to either repair and stabilize the building, or to demolish 101 and stabilize the adjoining buildings. All this information was shared with the owner. The owner's efforts to independently find any contractor to respond in any way were fruitless. Neither was the owner able to develop a set of specifications to accurately describe a demolition process, and therefore could not and did not ever file a permit application for demolition.

January 2009
Further deterioration of the east wall of the building was observed by City officials. Given that the orders to stabilize the structure failed to bring any action on the part of the owner, the City obtained a court order to enter the building and erect the necessary shoring to prevent the complete collapse of the building, to protect the public, and to protect the integrity of the neighboring structures. The building's owner agreed to the order. Shoring was the lowest-cost option to stabilize the building and prevent the collapse of the entire structure in the event the east wall failed. The City added permanent fencing in March when they realized that the building owner was unwilling or unable to take the appropriate necessary actions to secure the property and protect the public.

May 2009
The bricks and mortar on the second level of the cast wall of 101 West Main Street, destabilized by over a decade of steady and continuous leakage from a roof needing repair, collapsed under the weight of the brickwork on the upper floor and fell away from the floor joists. The shoring having been installed at the direction of WJE, did its job and prevented the second and third floor joists and walls and the roof structure from collapsing to the ground. The shoring also protected the adjoining buildings at 103 and 105-107 which all have floor joists interconnected across their common interior walls.

June 2009
Concerned that the building owner would not support either the cost of reconstruction or demolition, and that the legal battle would continue to carry on without timely resolution, the City entered into an agreement with the owner. This agreement transferred ownership to the City and reimbursed the City for the costs of engineering review and for shoring the building. The building owner did not reimburse the City for the cost of cleanup when the wall fell. Prior to obtaining ownership of 101, the City was generously granted the ownership of 103 for the costs of the owner's legal fees for the transfer of the property.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
July 13, 2009

 

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