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Weinberg Arcade owners plan growth after addressing facade issues

he Weinberg Arcade building at the corner of Prairie and Main streets in downtown Galesburg on Friday afternoon, Jan. 2, 2026, after North Prairie Street reopened following facade repairs (WGIL photo) — The Weinberg Arcade building in downtown Galesburg on Friday afternoon, Jan. 2, 2026, after South Prairie Street reopened following temporary repairs to the facade. (JAY REDFERN/WGIL)

Owners of the Weinberg Arcade in downtown Galesburg say they hope to build back bigger and better after addressing issues from recent facade collapses.

A portion of the brown brick veneer above the middle two windows on the east elevation collapsed the morning of Dec. 13, 2025. A second collapse occurred Saturday, Dec. 27, prompting another closure of South Prairie Street.

Weinberg Arcade, LLC, hired Klingner & Associates, P.C., and mason contractor Otto Baum Company to evaluate the condition of the 100-year-old building at 64 S. Prairie St.

The report identified the collapses were mainly caused by heavily rusted and corroded light gauge metal strap ties between the outer brown brick veneer and the inner red brick wythes.

On Dec. 16, masons from Otto Baum Company removed loose brown exterior brick veneer on the east elevation over the 4th floor windows around the collapsed brick.

Observations from Klingner & Associates:

The red inner wythes of brick behind the removed and collapsed brown brick veneer appear structurally adequate.
The concrete slabs, beams, and columns supporting the floors and roof appear structurally adequate. The steel columns supporting the roof over the 4th floor appear structurally adequate.
The interior of the exterior brick walls all around the building appear structurally adequate with no recent cracks.

To stabilize the upper brown brick veneer, Klingner & Associates recommended installing nearly full-depth stainless steel helical ties — essentially long, twisted metal rods drilled into the brick — on the remaining 4th floor exterior brown brick veneer on the east elevation and on the east and west sides of the south elevation. These ties should be placed every 16 inches vertically (every 6th row of bricks) and 24 inches horizontally, staggered for better strength.

The building is four stories with a full basement. The original building was built in the mid-1920s as a three-story building. The fourth story was added in the 1930s. The floors and roof of the building are reinforced concrete slabs and beams on reinforced concrete columns. Some of the 4th floor columns are steel. The exterior basement walls are reinforced concrete.

Businesses impacted by the collapse included Edward Jones Financial Advisor at 76 S. Prairie St., Shannon Albritton stylist, and Soul Fuel Aesthetics. But Jay Bullis with Weinberg Arcade LLC told WGIL, “Since it’s an arcade with interior doors, none of the businesses ever lost a day.”

Permanent repairs should be completed by the summer of 2026, the report says.

Bullis said that he appreciated the cooperation from numerous entities, including the City of Galesburg, the Galesburg Police and Fire Departments, and construction and engineering crews during the process.

Bullis said they plan to build back and continue to grow Weinberg Arcade.

South Prairie Street, which has been closed twice due to the collapses, reopened Friday morning.