Published: May 15, 2008 09:29 am         

Building owner reviews options

Demolition, rebuilding both expensive

DANVILLE — Downtown building owner Tenley Lippie said she is “sorry about the eyesore” those who work and visit downtown must see every day of her building at 105-109 N. Vermilion St. that was damaged by a fire March 26.

“We know the building could be saved. The question is who can fund it,” the Fort Wayne, Ind., resident said. “We’re looking for funding options right now. It doesn’t look like I can fund it in the short-term. But we’re looking at lots of difficult choices and options.”

Lippie knows city officials don’t want to see a hole left in the downtown block, but estimates she has received to rebuild the 11,000-square-foot building put the cost at $200 to $235 per square foot, or more than $2 million.

The demolition of the structure also is expected to be expensive, reaching easily into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, even if the front façade is salvaged, she said.

“We are continuing to look at demo bids and at how to do this properly and carefully,” Lippie said.

She continues to talk to structural engineers and look at every option.

Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said what happens next with the structure is Lippie’s decision.

“The sole decision lies with the owner now,” he said.

He said the city will leave perimeter barriers around the building in place until a final determination is made as to future plans.

Even though Rachael Dietkus is no longer executive director of Downtown Danville Inc., she still is involved in discussions with Lippie and city officials about the property’s future.

“The city participated in the (engineering) study, and we needed to do that,” Eisenhauer said.

Eisenhauer is referring to a structural engineering study of the building by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. of Northbrook.

Funding for the approximately $6,000 assessment came from a $2,000 emergency grant from the National Trust for Historical Preservation, $2,000 in matching funding from Landmarks Illinois and up to $2,000 from the city coming from community development dollars in the capital budget.

The report states the fire damage to the building was generally limited to the roof and east portions of the second floor and east masonry wall. The masonry walls are generally intact throughout the majority of the building.

“With proper repairs, the majority of the first- and second-floor framing and the west elevation can be salvaged,” the report said.

“From the historical perspective, it’s a salvageable building,” Lippie said.

She’s grateful city officials are giving the time needed to make the best decision for downtown.

She said there continues to be a large amount of thought and attention aimed at making decisions and considering concerns about the adjacent Dale Building and William C. Burnside Building, in which there is a shared wall.

“It’s a very difficult demolition to do,” she said. “This is not a ‘come in and knock it down and we’re done (project).’”

Lippie said it’s a “very complicated” and “risky” demolition.

“It will not be done until we’ve put forth a lot of study and brought in a lot of experts,” she said.

If a demolition is performed quickly, it could be detrimental to the adjacent buildings.

In addition to the north side shared wall, there are power lines in the back to deal with, she added.

She said a lot of the demolition will have to be done by hand.

Lippie thanks the firefighters for their efforts and also the city for its support of time and money in making the best decision for downtown.

“It looks a lot worse that it really is,” she said of the fire damage, adding that some items including candles from Briars and Brambles even were unscathed.

Lippie understands it’s been more than a month since the fire and people are wondering why nothing has been done with the building yet.

“It’s moved along quickly…,” she said of the information gathering.

Lippie is the fifth generation in her family to own the building that was purchased by her great-great-grandfather William H. Webster in 1907.

Over the years, the building housed a World War II recruitment office, dentist, barbershop and other shops on the first and second floors.

“It’s had a lot of life,” she said.