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| Former Ferris Building in Good Shape |
There might be differing opinions on just what the former Ferris Moving and Storage should be used for -- but one thing is constant: city officials say it's in pretty good shape.
A majority of aldermen yesterday toured the Mulberry Street facility that the city took ownership of in October of 2008. First Ward Alderman Ken Goad, Fifth Ward Alderman Karen Lafferty, and Sixth Ward Alderman Wayne Allen weren't in attendance.
Community Development Director Roy Parkin led the tour of the three-story building. Only two rooms of the facility actually had heat and air going through them, as they were used as offices. The rest of the building was used as cold storage.
Parkin says the building has some issues, but is otherwise okay.
"When you get up in the upper floors, there is a little bit of water and leakage around some of the windows, and the roof is getting to the point where something needs to be done with that," Parkin said. "But, the nice part, I guess, from that standpoint is that with the concrete, it's really not doing a whole lot of damage that would create any issues for us from the standpoint of rot and that type of thing."
Parkin says it would be relatively easy to do the building necessary in order to turn the building into a boutique hotel as a study seems to recommend, being able to put roughly 15 on each floor.
The city has had to make some repairs to the building since taking ownership. And, some parts still smell like chocolate from its original life as a chocolatier.
(Members of the Galesburg City Council walk through the old Ferris Moving and Storage Building Tuesday.)
(Galesburg Community Development Director Roy Parkin, center, talks with members of the Galesburg City Council and Mayor Sal Garza on the roof of the Ferris Moving and Storage Building Tuesday. WGIL News Story and Photos by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 03 31 10 by Newsroom |
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