Struggling Elgin church told it can't demolish buildings

St. Joseph Catholic Church will likely appeal to the Elgin City Council for permission to demolish four buildings it owns, after the city's Heritage Commission refused to grant its request last week.

The church submitted a certificate of economic hardship to the commission, arguing the cost to repair the structures at 256 and 260 Division Street and 101 and 107 Center Street would burden the financially struggling parish.

But the properties — all at least a century old — are located in the city's historic district. And the only other time a building in the historic district was approved for demolition due to economic hardship was a fire-damaged structure, officials said.

However, the church always planned to demolish the buildings upon purchasing them with the hopes of parish expansion, according to Willis Weiler, chair of the St. Joseph pastoral council.

Those plans were put on hold when the church couldn't raise enough money to expand in the late 1990s, and the properties fell into disrepair.

“We purchased the properties with the intention of demolition,” Weiler said. “That's one reason why we didn't do more than minimum maintenance on the properties.”

Commission member Betsy Couture said that's the wrong idea to have in a historic district, and voted against allowing the building teardowns because “everybody is expected to play by the same rules.

“Demolition by neglect is a bad precedent to present,” she said. “Everyone else in the city is expected to take care of their property.”

The church did have plans to rehab the 107 Center St. property, the former Ralph Muchow dentist office and antique radio museum, into a fellowship hall when it was purchased in 2000. But the building had structural problems, Weiler said.

All the vacant buildings have continued to decline to the point they've become uninhabitable, Weiler said. Some of the problems include faulty foundation walls, leaking roofs and deteriorating porches.

The church estimates a total net loss of $345,707 were it to rehabilitate the four properties.

So far, the city Heritage Commission and its design review subcommittee has rejected every demolition request by the church over the past decade. In 2006, the church wanted the buildings torn down to make room for a 63-unit condo building on the site, but those plans were rejected.

Last October, a request before the subcommittee was again rejected. Under local historic preservation guidelines, a structure in the historic district can be demolished if it threatens public safety, doesn't contribute to the historic character and appearance of the district, impedes the rehabilitation of a site that would otherwise improve the area, or presents an economic hardship to the property owner.

The church brought that last argument to the full Heritage Commission, and commissioners voted 5-1 to reject their request for three of the properties, and 4-2 to reject the last property.

The commission has 90 days to recommend an alternative for the properties that would allow for a reasonable beneficial use and economic return from the property, according to city statutes.

But there are few alternatives the commission could recommend, so the church will likely appeal to the full city council, said commission chair Bill Briska, who voted in favor of demolition.

“The drift of things has been going in that direction for a long time,” Briska said.

Weiler said the church plans to do just that, and said he's talked to various city officials that are supportive of demolishing the buildings.

The church would grade and seed the site and maybe create a park until the economy improves and the church has enough money to build on the land, Weiler said.

St. Joseph's would likely have to raise $2 million before considering expansion, he said.

“We really want to be civically responsible by getting those buildings torn down,” Weiler said. “It's an eyesore to the community. We're more than aware of that.”