Steven Spearie
The State Journal-Register
A Springfield City Council member who voted for a redevelopment agreement granting Horace Mann $600,000 in tax increment financing (TIF) funds to demolish two buildings in the 600 block of East Washington Street wants to reconsider.
Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conley admitted at Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting that she was “a reluctant ‘yes'” on the initial vote that passed 7-2 and plans to bring back the vote for reconsideration at the full city council meeting Tuesday.
Ward 6 Ald. Kristin DiCenso and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin were the lone “no” votes on the matter. McMenamin admitted he voted against the project because Horace Mann, an insurance company that has headquarters in Springfield, was unwilling to add a subrogation clause in the event the city was sued over the project.
Tony Schuering of Brown, Hay & Stephens, serving as outside counsel for Horace Mann, reiterated Tuesday the buildings at 618 and 622 E. Washington St. “cannot be prudently or feasibly saved” because of dilapidation and deferred maintenance.
Schuering said there was a large hole in the roof of one of the buildings and that both buildings had black mold, asbestos tiles and standing water that has pooled for years. The last time utilities were on was in 2006, he said.
Horace Mann has plans to tear down the two structures and create a green space with 28 parking spaces.
Schuering apologized to the city council at the outset of Tuesday’s meeting for using an out-of-date map last week that showed both buildings were out of the Central Springfield Historic District. The correct map also showed the 618 building to be “a contributing structure” to the historic district.
The city, Schuering maintained, had two options: Horace Mann’s or letting the buildings continue to sit and deteriorate.
Schuering said the $600,000 in TIF funds amounted to “just 15%” of an overall project Horace Mann plans to do in downtown Springfield. That includes the renovation of the Witmer-Schuck building on the corner of Seventh and Washington streets, Schuering said.
Conley countered that if “it’s just 15% percent, I would suggest that might be a project cost Horace Mann should take on and it shouldn’t be something (coming) from our limited downtown TIF dollars (to be put) into a surface lot.”
Donald Carley, executive vice president and general counsel at Horace Mann, said it wasn’t “a parking project. This is an opportunity to beautify downtown. We’re excited to have an opportunity to create a nice amenity for the community.”
Last week’s vote came over the objections of the Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation and Landmarks Illinois, both of which sent letters of support for the buildings to Mayor Jim Langfelder and city council members.
Langfelder, who toured the 622 building, said Office of Public Works personnel will go through the buildings this week and give their own assessment of the situation.
“We’ll see if there’s a plan that comes forward because everyone can say these buildings could be of historic value downtown, but if that’s the case, who’s going to stabilize that structure and move it forward to that point because it’s going to take millions of dollars,” he said.
Langfelder said votes for reconsideration have been rare during his tenure but did happen with the Wyndham Springfield City Centre last fall.
Corporation Counsel James Zerkle said the reconsideration has to pass with a simple majority. If that happens, last week’s vote is nullified, and debate is opened up on the new ordinance. Another vote will be taken on the redevelopment project.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 