It can be fixed

The building at Main and Center Streets owned by the non-profit Main Street Willow Springs was on the city council’s agenda for the fifth time since July last week. Since the July meeting, representatives of the nonprofit have been present every time the Board of Aldermen have convened. 

On Oct. 27, the city heard the results of a study conducted in September by Gene Douglas of OKE-Thomas. The city of Willow Springs arranged and paid for this study to have “a fresh pair of eyes” look at the building’s condition, said City Administrator Beverly Hicks. 

Douglas addressed the council, and his report was overall optimistic. The bottom line is: if the nonprofit can manage the financing, the building can be fixed. 

“The good news is, you’ve got a great building and it’s worthy of saving,” Douglas said to Mindi Parsons, Mary Jones, Christy Graves, and Hanna Borchard, the members of Main Street Willow Springs who attended the meeting. “As long as you have the money, you can get it done.”

As it stands, however, the building fits the city of Willow Springs’ definition of a “dangerous building” per ordinance 505.020. 

“By definition, it is a dangerous building. It cannot continue as it is,” Douglas said.

The north façade of the building is Douglas’s (and the city’s) biggest concern. The facia is bulging and unstable. The state of the roof is also allowing water into the building. The roof should be considered second-highest priority, Douglas said. 

“Once you get the façade fixed, it will carry the weight of the building,” he said. “That basically takes the risk away from anybody.”

Alderwoman Kim Rich addressed the members of Main Street Willow Springs who were present. She said the city needs to see forward momentum and a serious timeline from the group.

The tone was not stern. Rich, Hicks and Douglas were very clear that the city wants Main Street to succeed. 

At one point, Douglas turned to the board members and said, “You’ve got a gold mine here. I don’t know if anybody’s ever told you that.”

Douglas suggested finishing residential apartments on the upper floors to serve as an income stream and make the project more attractive to financial institutions. 

There was no vote or action taken by the aldermen at the meeting. In the question-and-answer session at the end of the open session, the aldermen confirmed that they expect Main Street Willow Springs to meet with Gene Douglas with the goal of scheduling at least the north façade repair within 30 days, keeping in mind that disruptions in supply-and-demand may delay the work. In a statement obtained from the nonprofit, the organization says it “understands that time is of the essence.”

In the meeting, the nonprofit board suggested that they do have some funding “that has been promised” and they are working on a business plan to help them obtain financing. They were amenable to meeting with Douglas and working with him on concrete steps forward. 

“The report we received from Gene Douglas serves to further validate our belief that this building is worth preserving and that it has the potential to be a huge asset to the Willow Springs community,” reads a statement from Main Street Willow Springs. “[We hope] that the community will rally together in the form of volunteer hours or financial contributions to help ensure this project is a success.”

Main Street Willow Springs is in need of volunteers with a wide variety of skill sets and they, “invite anyone who is interested in creating a thriving downtown area to step forward and be a part of the solution.”