Funding remains a concern for Main St. building

Main Street Willow Springs, LLC has a contract with a contractor to repair their downtown building, but do not yet have the funds to honor it, heard the Board of Aldermen last week. 

Citing public safety concerns about the bulging and crumbing north facade, the City of Willow Springs has requested monthly updates from the building's owners since July 2022. In December, the aldermen voted to enforce the municipal ordinances governing dangerous buildings, putting the nonprofit on a 30-day timeline to secure a contract and commence work.

Mary Jones is the president of the nonprofit's board of directors, and she spoke for the group last week. She reported, echoing a written update dated Jan. 11, that MSWS has signed a contract with Base Construction. Work is anticipated to begin on April 1, and last 13 weeks.

Alderman David Collins asked if the group had funds available to honor the contract.

"It's in the process," Jones answered. "As soon as we can secure funding, it will go forward pretty fast."

The nonprofit reported they are meeting with financial institutions to secure funding for the project. The amount of the contract is not disclosed in the written update, but instead explicitly states the contract "will not be made available for distribution or made public." 

"To combat claims that Main Street Willow Springs has done 'nothing' with the building," the nonprofit's update refers to the, "countless hours of behind the scenes work that must take place before any 'visible' work can be done."

"We understand the Board of Aldermen are only concerned with the structural integrity of the building and how that could potentially affect the safety of citizens. We, however, have an extensive list of things that must be considered in every step forward we take," reads the update. 

The aldermen took no action last week, but they do expect the nonprofit to continue to appear to give monthly updates until the north wall is secured.