Gas station gets another reprieve
In other business
The Janesville City Council on Monday:
-- Delayed a decision to become a Green Tier Legacy Community and asked for more information from city staff about the contract the city would sign with the state. The program calls on the city to partner with the state Department of Natural Resources to reach sustainability goals.
JANESVILLE — A historic gas station was granted another reprieve from the Janesville City Council on Tuesday after members delayed a decision on its fate for several months.
The council unanimously asked staff to return with suggestions and cost estimates for adaptive reuses of the building at 101 Franklin St.
The building is a prime example of the showcase gas stations that were built in the early 1900s, few of which remain today.
The city bought the property in 2007 to demolish it and hold the land until it was ready to expand the nearby police station.
But residents formed a group to protect the building. Now, the structure is in immediate need of a new roof and some repair to the masonry. Estimates begin at $35,000.
City Manager Eric Levitt suggested the council consider looking at adaptive uses, even if those are 10 years in the future but with that goal always in mind.
Leisure services could move into the more visible location, leaving space in City Hall for needed storage, or it could become part of the actual expansion of the police department.
Levitt said it is difficult to get grants with no adaptive reuse planned for a structure.
Council members remain concerned about the ultimate cost, and member DuWayne Severson noted that costs could grow to $300,000 by the time the building is renovated.
He said he had a hard time supporting that sum in light of the community's current economic struggles.
"I think we could probably use that money better for job development,'' Severson said.
Councilman Matt Kealy said the council's two options were to tear the building down or fully embrace an adaptive use. Doing the latter would also prove to the downtown community that the city is serious about preservation, Kealy said.
Councilman Jim Farrell hoped the city could find an adaptive use but does not want it to sit four more years in limbo.
"It kind of frustrates me (that nobody has) come forward with some viable solution," Farrell said.
Police Chief David Moore said the building's location complicates expansion of the police department and would likely force it to expand up, increasing the cost.
But moving the building would destroy some of its historic value, staff said.
Severson said he was uncomfortable getting two opinions from staff, and asked the administration to come back with one opinion.
Levitt said providing a variety of opinions to council members is part of his management style. He agreed that Moore does not see how the city could adaptively reuse the building in expansion plans for the station, but that Levitt does.
Severson made a motion to tear the building down, but got no seconds.
Councilman Russ Steeber offered a motion that the administration return with more information on ways to reuse the building.
Jun 5, 2012 at 6:05 p.m.
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JozeMoze, your sentence is a perfect example of how form can overpower content to the point of annihilation.
Jun 1, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.
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Half the downtown needs to be leveled. The gas station is no exception. As a basically lifelong Janesville resident with a couple out of town friends visiting I was kind of embarrassed to be at the Cozy Inn and have them commenting how crappy our downtown is for actually shopping and you know, economic activities. Embarrassed, because they were totally right.
May 31, 2012 at 8:40 a.m.
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How will our community put its best foot forward when we have both feet so securely planted in the past.
May 31, 2012 at 8:07 a.m.
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Maybe Kealy could buy it, or at least lease it, remodel it, and open a hot dog stand. Spend his own money, not mine.
I am so disappointed in the city council. I thought the people I voted for last election had some common sense. I guess not.
May 31, 2012 at 5:17 a.m.
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4oc....you're banging your head on the wall. Good luck tho!
May 30, 2012 at 11:51 p.m.
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I gave a perfectly good solution to the whole issue last week, so once again I will hope that someone, heck ANYONE with some common sense from the council, or that work for the city of Janesville and have access to our city manager Eric Levitt and forward this link to them;
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tlc-needed...
It's very easy and it won't cost the city a dime if they can find a tenant for the building, it would make a great spot for a gas station for the police department to use, fill em up at the end of your shifts, save some time and $$$ and possible other uses go on and on.
Wake up and get with the times, programs like these exist for a reason.
May 30, 2012 at 7:25 p.m.
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TEAR IT DOWN! This group of people that want it saved seem to want everyone else to pay for it. If they want it so bad why haven't they put their money up for it? Its an eye sore that will cost the tax payers way too much money to be worth FULLY restoring it. The council will cave, spend just enough to keep it from falling apart (which is more than it costs to tear it down) and it will sit there for 20 more years looking like crap! But at least Janesville can say "come look at our crappy old gas station."
May 30, 2012 at 7:21 p.m.
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But yet the group has let the hotel fall into such disrepair that the fire dept will not even enter the building for safety reasons.
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