Historic Franke House to be demolished in downtown Algonquin
A century-old house in Algonquin's downtown district is slated for demolition to make way for future redevelopment.
Earlier this year, the village put out a request for proposals for the historic Franke House at 103 W. Algonquin Road - a site pegged for redevelopment. Officials hoped to find a buyer interested in purchasing the structure and relocating it to a new property.
No offers were placed on the house after 90 days, and the village board this week approved a measure to knock it down.
"We strongly believe that if we had gotten any proposals to move that house, we'd be entertaining those instead of tearing the house down," Community Development Director Russ Farnum said. "But we didn't get anything, and the village has to move forward at some point with redeveloping this property."
The demolition is expected to take place within the next week, he added, despite unanimous opposition from Algonquin's historic commission.
As part of the village's downtown plan, a mixed-use development with retail and residential units is planned for the parcels at Route 62 and Harrison Street, Farnum said, though the village is "open to all options."
The Franke House property was one of several lots acquired by the village in anticipation of that type of development. Several deteriorating buildings nearby have already been demolished, Farnum said, including a detached ranch home and a two-story garage that had also been built on the Franke House property.
The Franke House, however, was still structurally sound and in fair condition, Farnum said - one of the reasons village officials initially hoped to preserve it. Built in 1911 by Algonquin businessman Christ Franke, the five-bedroom house has been used as a residence, a decorating/painting business, an art studio and a psychic business.
"The structure, being almost 4,000 square feet and a pretty prime example of the American Four Square style of architecture, was pretty significant," Farnum said.
Instead of demolition, the historic commission suggested the village put forth the resources to restore the house - a move Farnum said would be tedious and expensive. Just moving the house would cost the village about $50,000, he said, as opposed to the $16,000 cost to demolish it.
"Of course, it's a highly rated historic building in our downtown, and they're concerned about losing it. I understand and respect that completely," Farnum said. "Getting the site cleared for redevelopment so we can more quickly get that property put back on the tax rolls is probably a more urgent concern for our board."