Geneva’s historic blacksmith shop gets covered in plastic; city wants it removed

The historic limestone remnant of an 1840s blacksmith shop on the former Mill Race Inn site in Geneva is now entirely covered in a giant sheet of white plastic.

The covering is the latest source of friction between the city and Shodeen Development over the latter’s ownership of the former Mill Race Inn property at 4 E. State St.

In a response to Shodeen’s action to cover the building on April 23, Geneva Community Development Director David DeGroot directed the developer to put a tarp over the property instead.

“It is assumed that the recent wrapping of the landmarked structure located at 4 E. State Street was completed in an effort to address the cited violations of the International Property Maintenance Code,” according to DeGroot’s May 1 letter.

“However, it is unclear why this unconventional method was taken instead of simply replacing the weathered materials previously used to secure the building, such as the tarps on the roof and the boards over the windows and other openings,” DeGroot’s letter states.

“The wrap does not allow for the inspection and/or maintenance of the building’s structural components or determination of compliance with the judicial order,” according to the letter. “You have ten (10) days to appropriately secure the structure in accordance with the Hearing Officer’s orders (as affirmed by Judge Flood). Failure to do so will result in a summons to appear before the hearing officer for local adjudication.”

Shodeen Group President David Patzelt declined to comment.

The city first cited Shodeen over the property on June 20, 2024.

On Nov. 21, 2024, a hearing officer upheld the city’s citation to enforce its property maintenance code dating back to Oct. 17, 2024, and approved a $750-a-day fine that totaled $27,000 at the time.

As of Friday, May 1, the fine could be up to $420,750.

City spokesman Kevin Stahr stated in an email that, “The developer has been invoiced twice for the fines and is delinquent in making a payment to the City.”

“If the developer fails to pay the fines, it could result in a lien being placed on the property,” Stahr’s email states.

Al Watts of Preservation Partners said in an email that if the plastic wrap around the building is not properly ventilated, “the building will likely rot quickly from the inside out.”

“Masonry needs to breathe and wrapping it in plastic will likely trap moisture inside the masonry, causing it to rapidly deteriorate,” according to Watts. “This does not seem to be a positive development for the building’s preservation.”

In January, the Geneva City Council voted 6-4 to overturn the Historic Preservation Commission’s denial of the developer’s petition to demolish the blacksmith shop.

But the structure dodged the wrecking ball because seven votes were required to overturn the commission’s unanimous denial.