Historic Geneva gas station could be demolished
The owner of a historically significant former service station in Geneva wants to demolish the building, to make way for a bank drive-through.
St. Charles Bank and Trust, a Wintrust bank, has applied for a demolition permit for 502 W. State St., the former Pure Oil service station. The bank wants to lease the first floor of the building next door, and add a three-lane drive-through.
The building is in the city's historic district, and a painting of it is featured on the Geneva Chamber of Commerce's current brochure promoting Geneva businesses.
The building houses the Pure Gardener store. Fagans Inc. owns the building.
The store sells gardening supplies, plants and home decor items. Its owner could not be reached for comment Monday.
The Geneva Historic Preservation Commission will consider whether to recommend the demolition at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the public works building, 1800 South St.
According to the commission's meeting packet, the bank would also knock down a building to the south, at 12 S. Fifth St., to add a parking lot. Those plans must be reviewed by the city's plan commission, and voted on by the city council.
The history
The Pure Oil Co. built the three-bay station in 1937. According to a city staff memo, the Tudor Revival-style building was designed with house-like features, to fit in with residential neighborhoods. The terra-cotta roof's blue tiles echoed the blue in the Pure Oil logo.
It later became Kuchera's Service, a fact reflected in a lighted sign remaining, reminding customers to change their oil and replace their spark plugs.
The gardening store moved in in 2006. It was started by former Geneva Greenhouse employees, when the Greenhouse was sold for a proposed housing subdivision.
According to the bank's application, it considered keeping the building and routing the drive-through through the former service bays, but there wasn't enough space to do that.
Repairs needed
Fagan's is willing to sell the building to anybody who wants to move it, but the architect's report states it is likely the building would collapse if that were attempted.
The bank's architect estimated it would cost $312,500 to bring the building up to code, including making it fully accessible. The building's brick walls need repair and repainting, inside and out. The damage may be due to water infiltration, according to the architect. The building also needs new heating and ventilation equipment, and roof and window repair.
Fagan's bought the building in 2006 for $485,000, according to Geneva Township assessment records.
Save it?
The city's historic preservation staff, while acknowledging the cost, wrote in a memo that the demolition of the Pure Oil building “should be avoided unless compelling information is provided detailing that the building cannot be part of an economically viable adaptive reuse plan. ... Evidence should be provided showing that every effort has been made to secure a more compatible use for the building than a bank.”