Batavia Bowl on its last legs
Its central bearing frame has settled so much, there's no way to jack the floors up so they don't slope. The roof joists are rotting. Water has damaged the foundation enough that it likely needs to be replaced. A brick addition is pulling away from the main building.
More than a paint job and new carpeting is needed for the Batavia Bowl, 120-122 First St.
If you want to save the building, which housed a paper bag plant and a wagon company in the late 1800s, now's the time to speak to your alderman about it, because the community development committee Tuesday recommended the owner be allowed to tear the building down.
Batavia Enterprises, which wants to buy the building, is the co-applicant with the owner, James Corrie. BE is known for restoring and renovating older buildings throughout much of the Tri-Cities and owns the properties that surround the building. The firm has won several awards from Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley and the Batavia Chamber of Commerce for its projects.
The bowling alley shut down in April. In May, the city declared the building uninhabitable, and Tuesday its electrical department shut off power and removed the electrical service connection. The city has also cited the owner for piles of debris and trash behind the building that have been there for several years.
Reports from a structural engineer and two contractors indicate it would take $2.3 million to bring it up to code. At that price, BE doesn't think it could charge enough rent to make it worth it.
"It would be nice for history to keep the building, but I think it is past that point," said committee chairman Alderman Dave Brown, saying he was voting for demolition reluctantly.
Aldermen, as well as the Historic Preservation Commission, are concerned downtown Batavia has lost too many of its historic buildings made of limestone from Fox River quarries. The building is in the city's only historic district.
The eight-lane bowling alley was added in the 1940s. Corrie has owned it since 1988.
Alderman James Volk implored the committee to put the vote off a month and ask the community for ideas on how to preserve the building. Maybe somebody else would think it is worthwhile to spend the money, he said.
"I don't think that building is all that bad and we need to be somewhat more creative than tossing our history out ... . We are rushing in to it way too fast," he said, indicating he won't approve the demolition until he knows what kind of building will replace it. He also said he thinks the closing could be postponed, because "nobody is beating a path" to buy the building.
The owner has not paid the first installment of this year's property tax bill, which was due June 1, and has been late in paying taxes the last six years; several years ago it was sold for unpaid taxes, but Corrie redeemed the lien in time to keep the property.
BE President Dan Stellato, who deals with Corrie through his attorney, believes Corrie lives in Vermont and wants to sell soon because he is in poor health. The contract calls for closing the first week of July, he said.
Bowl: Alderman wanted committee to put vote off until next month