Geneva’s 180-year-old blacksmith shop for sale for $1

GENEVA – If you want to buy a 180-year-old piece of Geneva’s history, it’s a real deal: “Building for sale $1.00. Land not included. Must be relocated. Call Dave 630-444-8252.”

The sign is on the circa-1843 limestone blacksmith shop at the former Mill Race property at 4 E. State St., Geneva. The Shodeen Family Foundation, which owns the property, is seeking to remove its historic landmark designation and allow its demolition. The company says that the structure cannot be reused, repurposed or relocated.

The blacksmith shop’s fate remains undecided after a public hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission Tuesday was continued again to April 18.

Tuesday’s hearing was continued from Jan. 18. The 90 minutes of testimony was generally an echo of the previous session, with most participants calling for the preservation of the old blacksmith shop and Shodeen representative David Patzelt defending the company’s position that the building is in too bad of shape and needs to be razed.

Among the preservation advocates was Tim Vetang, who called out the Shodeens about the for sale sign.

“Demolition should not be a reward for neglect,” Vetang said.

In response, Patzelt said putting the building up for sale sign on Feb. 13 was not meant as sarcasm.

“Putting it up for sale for $1 was to see if there was somebody out there that would have interest in this structure,” Patzelt said.

“And lo and behold, we got one phone call. That one phone call came from a person by the name of Frank – I won’t give you his last name. Frank has no interest in the building, has no interest in the land. He was interested in doing the demolition of the building,” Patzelt said. “Since the sign has been up, there has been no interest in anybody wanting to acquire the building for $1.”

Patzelt said when the owners razed the original Mill Race structure, the old blacksmith shop was revealed.

Patzelt said despite preservationists’ insistence that the Geneva Park District or the city be enlisted to take care of the old blacksmith shop, neither are interested.

Vetang was among several who urged the commission not to allow the blacksmith shop to be razed.

“Because of its historic significance, it could be restored on its own, or incorporated into a future development that would prevent it from being a hazard,” Vetang said. “Over the years I’ve seen many buildings and structures in Kane County that were just as bad – and maybe even worse – being restored because the owner appreciated the building’s history, architecture or saw it as a plus for redeveloping the site.”

Geneva resident Colin Campbell testified that various developers bought historic properties in Geneva, declared they could not be repurposed and wanted them razed.

But the Historic Preservation Commission and the City Council refused, Campbell said.

Among the historic buildings saved was the former Fiora’s, at 317 S. Third St., which became “one of the premier destination restaurants in the suburbs,” Campbell said.

Another was the former W. H. Howell Company, an iron works foundry on the corner of State and River streets. Campbell showed old photos of a rundown looking building.

“It was not in very good shape,” Campbell said. “This developer acquired that property and turned into this – Riverside Banquets and 18 North and The Dam Bar and a number of other things. And it’s been a very successful venture.”

Campbell said when a developer buys a historic property, “they know that the city is going to pay particular attention to that and its utility and value to the city.”

“They have taken a known business risk. It is not up to the city or advocates of preservation to bail them out of that business risk,” Campbell said. “That is something they walked into.”

Campbell said there were multiple ways to repurpose the building other than tearing it down.

But Geneva resident Sharon Jones said she questioned the value of trying to restore the blacksmith shop because of its constant flooding, being so close to the river.

“I do question whether it’s worth the Shodeen family spending the money on completely restoring that,” Jones said. “When you see the flooding that’s around it, you think, ‘How can this be possible?’”

Instead, Jones recommended little development be allowed on the former Mill Race Inn property because of the proximity of the river, local nature and the quality of the trails.

Once the Historic Preservation Commission votes to make a recommendation on the fate of the blacksmith shop, it will go to the City Council for final action.