Note: This story was updated at 3 p.m. Friday to reflect new information obtained from city administration. The updates are in italic.
The City of Galesburg is taking the next step to bring down a dilapidated hotel on the Public Square.
At its Monday meeting, the City Council will consider a professional services agreement with Galesburg architectural firm Klingner Associates for the demolition of 29 Public Square, site of the former Broadview Hotel.
City administration says the removal of the blighted building will remove a public safety hazard to citizens and make way for future development. A complaint has been filed in Knox County Court and the city is seeking an Order for Demolition.
The soonest the City could potentially obtain an order for demolition is November. If the order is obtained in November, it would be estimated that demolition work could potentially begin in early 2023.
If the Council agrees to the agreement, once the city has the Order for Demolition, the following services will be provided at a cost of $20,500:
- Construction documents, including a plan exhibit identifying buildings and site features to be demolished and general guidance for finish grading, bidding documents, etc.
- Technical Specifications following asbestos remediation including removal of buildings, placement of fill, topsoil, finish grading, erosion control and seeding.
- Bidding Services including a pre-bid meeting, responding to questions, preparing addendums (if required), attending bid opening, and providing a recommendation.
- Construction Administration including one pre-construction meeting, reviewing submittals, 10 site visits to observe demolition, reviewing all pay applications and lien waivers, providing a punch list and certificate of substantial completion.
In March 2022, the City Council approved moving forward with the demolition process. The property continues to be broken into by people sheltering and illegally removing items from the building. There have been 8 administrative adjudication cases for nuisance and criminal violations since the hotel closed in the Spring of 2020. The cases have resulted in unpaid fines and fees of $16,514.20.
There are also outstanding water bills of $4,881.35. There has been no water to the building since February 2021 leaving it with zero fire protection. There are signs of concrete spalling off the building, multiple broken windows and doors that have had to be boarded up, the roofing material is beyond its useful life and much of it has blown off allowing infiltration of inclement weather.
The City intends to pursue ownership of the property through the court system. If ownership is obtained, the city would evaluate options for the most productive utilization of the property.