Belleville considers demolishing 1887 building after rejecting proposal to renovate it
Belleville’s director of economic development, planning and zoning has suggested that officials consider demolishing two vacant city-owned buildings in the same downtown block.
One building, which faces Mascoutah Avenue, has been a subject of controversy for two years. The other, which faces Lincoln Street, has a higher property value but a lower profile.
The fate of the buildings came up last week at an open meeting of City Council members who represent wards in the area. They mainly discussed new sidewalks and a potential “bump-out” dining area for Charlie’s Place restaurant and bar on Mascoutah.
Cliff Cross, the economic development director, told aldermen that several developers have looked at the two city-owned buildings and concluded it would cost too much to renovate them.
“If we can’t use those buildings, then it’s time to really start talking (about) just tearing them down,” he said, adding that structures can deteriorate rapidly and require costly maintenance when left vacant.
The city-owned buildings include an 1887 two-story brick storefront at 123-127 Mascoutah Ave. Last year, developer Kathy Mordini agreed to buy it from the city for $46,000 and spend another $200,000 to renovate it and turn it into an event center with office space.
That deal collapsed after a long negotiation process and opposition by some Belleville Historic District residents, led by former congressman Bill Enyart. They argued that large gatherings in an outdoor courtyard would disrupt the neighborhood.
Mordini blamed “politics,” stemming from her support of the late former Mayor Mark Eckert, who was defeated by current Mayor Patty Gregory in 2021. Gregory and other city officials denied that claim, saying the project had been subject to the same rules and procedures applied to any developer.
Kathy Mordini and her daughter and business partner, Kinsey Mordini, later moved their Avenue Realty Associates office to a different location. They didn’t attend last week’s meeting.
“It’s sad to see that they’re (talking about) tearing down a historic building that could have been revitalized, and we were willing to do it,” Kathy Mordini said this week.
The city posted two online requests for proposals on the Mascoutah Avenue storefront, both in 2022.
Aldermen complained that the first one, open from April 14 to April 29, didn’t allow enough time for developers to respond. The second one was open June 7 to July 15. The Mordinis were the only ones to submit proposals.
‘Gateway’ to downtown
The other building that Cross cited for possible demolition is at 407 E. Lincoln St. The city bought the 1956 brick one-story 10 years ago for $235,000. It was used for department offices until 2022.
Last year, local businesswoman Andria Powell began the process of buying the building for $80,000 with plans to renovate it and move in her fitness center, but she changed her mind before the sale went through.
Ward 6 Alderman Chris Rothweiler, who represents the area, agrees with Cross that the Lincoln Street building should be torn down after hearing about water, mold, asbestos and other problems.
“It’s just not a viable building anymore,” he said.
Rothweiler is waiting for more information before making up his mind on the Mascoutah Avenue storefront.
If the two buildings are demolished, Cross said, the space could be used to create a “gateway” to downtown Belleville with a welcome sign, informational kiosk, grassy area and additional parking.
Cross estimated demolition costs at $30,000 for the Mascoutah Avenue building and $49,000 for the Lincoln Street building.
Belleville Historical Society would be “absolutely opposed” to tearing down the 1887 storefront, according to President Larry Betz, who described it as historically significant and in good condition.
“Once a historic building is gone, it’s gone,” he said. “You can never bring it back. The city could save $30,000 for demolition by giving it to us. We would fix up the facade and use it for storage.”
The storefront was constructed for Schopp Brothers Saloon and housed taverns for 55 years. It later was used for a florist shop and other businesses until 1996, when a hair salon moved out.
The Kern family donated money for the city to buy the vacant building in a St. Clair County tax sale about 15 years ago. It was going to be used as a welcome center for the landmark Gustave Koerner House on the opposite corner.
That plan never materialized due to a shortage of funds to renovate both buildings, so the Koerner committee stepped back from the Mascoutah Avenue project, said co-chairman Jack LeChien.
The committee had spent about $56,000 on the storefront, installing structural supports in the basement, tuck-pointing the brick, applying a roof treatment to extend its life, replacing the upstairs windows and doing environmental clean-up related to pigeon droppings.
“We did invest in it, and we had hoped if the building sold, we would be able to recapture some of the money we put into it and that the original purchase amount would be rebated to the Kern family,” LeChien said this week. “That was our main concern.
“From a preservation point of view, it would be great to save another historic building in the neighborhood and find a use for it.”
Demolition needs approval
LeChien, who formerly chaired Belleville Historic Preservation Commission, pointed out that the commission must approve building demolitions in the city’s three historic districts.
Officials can skip the approval process, he said, but generally that’s done only if a property poses a health-and-safety risk, and the Mascoutah Avenue storefront doesn’t seem to fit that criteria.
Ward 6 Alderwoman Mary Stiehl said she supports tearing down the building, even though it’s in Belleville Historic District.
“The building that’s on the corner there, it’s not really historic,” she said. “It’s very tenuous. The bricks are falling off. Nobody has ever kept it up. It doesn’t really serve any purpose.”
Mordini said she inspected the storefront with a contractor, an architect and the city’s building commissioner, and all found it to be remarkably sound for its age, although it has no utilities.
Barb Swantner, co-owner of Charlie’s Place, attended last week’s meeting but spoke only about sidewalks and the potential bump-out in front of the restaurant and bar. Afterward, she declined comment on possible demolition of the building across the street.
Mayor Gregory also attended the meeting but didn’t weigh in.
The Mordinis originally proposed turning the storefront into a small-business incubator and event space with outdoor kiosks for artist and other vendor “pop-up” shops on weekends. Some neighbors pushed back, saying homeless people might sleep in the kiosks.
The Mordinis changed the plan to include an event space downstairs with a fenced-in courtyard and office space upstairs.
Last fall, the City Council voted to grant them a liquor license for indoor parties, but not outdoor, then the Mordinis failed to show up for the sale closing, according to Rothweiler.
“The majority of neighbors were not in favor of an outdoor venue at that location,” he said.
When asked about outdoor dining at Charlie’s Place, Rothweiler said the volume of people would have been higher at an event center that hosted wedding receptions and other large parties.
Alderwoman Stiehl said the Mascoutah Avenue building sale collapsed because the bank wouldn’t loan the Mordinis enough money for renovations. Kathy Mordini called that “absolutely not true.”
Mordini said she asked for a closing-date extension, which the City Council rejected, due to the last-minute tabling of a decision on the outdoor liquor license, but she was still poised to pay an inflated amount ($46,000) for a building that had been vacant for more than 25 years.
“If Mark Eckert was still mayor, this property would have been beautifully remodeled, like the property we did across the street (at 122 Mascoutah Ave.),” she said. “I would have acquired it years ago and not had to endure the circus I experienced under the current administration.”
