Macomb, IL – The red brick facade is all that remains standing of the building that burned down on Macomb's courthouse square on March 3. Now the building owner wants to tear down the facade.
Nelson Dieke, Inc filed a Certificate of Appropriateness application with the city on May 5. The application is necessary because - like the rest of the square - the building is in the city's downtown historic district.
The Macomb Historic Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday, May 18, 3:00pm at City Hall. Immediately after the hearing the commission will be asked to approve or reject the application.
If the application is approved, a demolition permit will be issued. If it is rejected, Nelson Dieke could appeal to the Macomb City Council.
The application does not indicate what might be done with the site once the facade is removed. If the owner chooses to rebuild, the new structure would need to match the size, style, and historic character of the surrounding buildings.
The building dated back to 1896. It most recently housed Chelsea's Hallmark Store and Vision Consultants Ltd.
The fire department was unable to pinpoint the cause of the smoky fire that destroyed the building. Chief Andy Taylor said the damage was too extensive to determine anything.