Mt. Morris demolition project underway

MOUNT MORRIS – Demolition of the Mount Morris buildings that used to house Union Savings Bank started Thursday.

“It’s sad to lose an old building, but I think that, once it’s down, it’ll look nice and we’ll be able to see the campus from the highway,” Village Trustee Melissa Nicholson said. “It’ll be a good thing in the end.”

The complex being torn down, located at 2 West Main St., includes the Wishard Building, which was constructed in 1920. The Wishard Building was, for many years, home to Citizens State Bank and other businesses, including the practice of Dr. H.J. Stengel.

Jerry Stauffer, a village trustee and Economic Development Corporation board member, said he expects demolition and clean up to take a little more than a week. The plan is to return the area to green space, he said.

“A lot of the people in town didn’t want to see the building come down,” Stauffer said. “We worked very hard to try to save the building … but it just wasn’t in the cards.”

The building served the community and bank well for many years, Nick Gill, Union Savings Bank CEO and president said in a written statement provided the Shaw Media on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, its condition had deteriorated beyond the point of repair,” Gill wrote. “We decided to build a new office that will allow us to continue serving our customers into the future. We have greatly appreciated the support from the community throughout the years and during this process.”

In April, the bank broke ground on a new Mt. Morris facility located at 1 West Hitt St. All operations were transferred there as of Sept. 27.

Union Savings Bank’s main office is in Freeport. It has branches in Freeport, Rockford, Belvidere and Mt. Morris.