St. Clair County buying Belleville restaurant near Belle-Clair Fairgrounds
The board that manages St. Clair County properties recently voted to purchase the former Uncle Nick’s Deli near the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds.
The Public Building Commission voted June 18 to buy the restaurant at 1140 S. Illinois St. and the adjoining vacant land at 1150 S. Illinois St. for $280,000 plus closing costs.
County Buildings Director Jim Brede said the property became available in the past few weeks.
It was listed for $350,000 on BarberMurphy’s website. Brede said the county got an appraisal that valued the property at $180,000, nearly half the asking price.
During the meeting, Public Building Commission member Kevin Bouse praised Brede’s negotiations for the sale based on that appraisal.
“The way you kind of let them know up front that ‘You’re way off’ and you did this was perfect, I mean, saving the county tens of thousands,” Bouse said.
The broker declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday.
The brick building is 1,959 square feet and sits on a 1.37-acre lot, according to the BarberMurphy listing.
“Situated at one of Belleville’s most strategic retail intersections, this property sits along IL Route 159/S. Illinois St. at the IL Route 15 interchange, offering strong visibility to 16,900 vehicles per day,” the listing states.
Brede said in response to board questions about plans for the property that it could be torn down and used for extra fairgrounds parking.
Richland Creek separates it from the rest of the fairgrounds at 200 South Belt East. St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said the county has plans to build a bridge over the creek.
Kern described the former restaurant space as a “future development opportunity.”
Public Building Commission member Rick Effinger suggested one idea.
“It’d be nice to figure out a place for a hotel somewhere down along there,” he said.
Uncle Nick’s Deli opened in the South Illinois Street restaurant in 2020. The space has also operated as Subway and Naugles. It was built in 1979 and last renovated more than a decade ago, according to the real estate listing.
The county has been buying nearby properties since 2024, expanding the fairgrounds’ footprint mostly for additional parking but also for a new, larger racetrack positioned on the property’s southeast corner.
