Published: May 14, 2008 10:57 am         

City gives away old fire station

Habitat to use Walnut Street site

DANVILLE — Aldermen heard from two community groups Tuesday night that want the old fire station on Walnut Street for storage and other uses.

In the end, three aldermen recommended the city give the building at 705 N. Walnut St. to Habitat for Humanity. The Public Works Committee’s recommendation goes before the city council next week for final action.

The city received one bid to sell the parks building at 615 N. Jackson St. and three bids for the old fire station.

Aldermen recommended rejecting the $30,100 bid from former alderman Charles Long for the parks building. Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said an appraisal two years ago listed the building’s worth at $150,000. He said the city needs the money from this sale to build a pole barn at the new public works facility on Voorhees Street.

Ahrens said they believe a higher value for the property is available. The building will likely be re-listed.

He didn’t know if it was timing or market conditions that resulted in the city only receiving one bid for the property.

Long owns one acre of land south of the building and wanted the city building for storage.

As for the old fire station building, the city received three bids: $775 from Terry Moreman who would use it for storage; no monetary compensation from Habitat for Humanity that would use it for storing materials, office space and meeting room; and $2,555 from the Human Relations Commission of Danville, which would use it for storage.

Greg Miller, with the human relations commission that is not a city department, said the organization assists low-income families with clothes, furniture, household items and other needs. He picks up leftover rummage sale items to help these families. The organization now keeps items in two donated garages and needs a permanent building for storage.

Habitat board president Erich Hannah pointed out the 24 new homes and 10 remodels Habitat has completed in more than 20 years. It also puts tax-producing homes on vacant lots.

Hannah said trailers Habitat now uses often get broken into and tools are stolen. A building would allow for storage, work to be completed during rain days and Habitat to accept donations of items, such as siding and windows.

He also explained Habitat will tuck point the second floor of the building and replace the windows and install shutters on the first floor. Habitat officials also want to hang pictures to remember the history of the fire station.

Hannah said they didn’t offer to purchase the building because officials rather would put the money into more homes.

In other business Tuesday, the committee:

-- Heard from resident Reggie Romine about the city spending $260,000 in cash during two fiscal years on Carver Park improvements, in conjunction with grant funding. He wonders where city priorities lie, when the city had to raise the gas tax for street repairs.

“I think we need another park in this town like we need another 10 to 15 vacant lots,” he said.

-- Moved onto the full city council without recommendations to authorize agreements with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway Co. for the removal of the Voorhees Street bridge over the exempt railroad and replacement of the at-grade roadway at the railroad.

The agreement with Norfolk Southern also is to remove the exempt railroad at grade crossings at Hazel, Jackson and Bowman.

Ward 4 Alderman Terry Baldwin was concerned about not having a final agreement for action.

-- Recommended purchasing 60,000 yard waste bags from Great Scott Services of Danville for $24,840.

-- Recommended approving an agreement for preliminary engineering for International Drive at ThyssenKrupp’s machining division entrance.

-- Recommended approving the acquisition of permanent easements for the Holiday Hills sanitary sewer project.

The city will purchase land for $500 from Immanuel Manor on Eastwood Drive, for $5,738 from Jane Hosch on North Bowman Avenue and for $200 from Jon Mourer on Eastwood Drive. Funding comes from the city’s sanitary sewer fund.