The Village of Bartonville has resorted to legal measures in hopes of forcing ownership to do something with the deteriorating and dangerous former Allied Mills building.
Mayor Leon Ricca says property owner Lord Mic Williams has now amassed between $80,000 and $100,000 in unpaid fines for code violations.
“Right now we’re in court on that, but we would like to get that building down,” said Ricca.
He says enforcement officials continue to issue the maximum $750 fine daily because the abandoned 11-story tower directly adjacent to the highly-trafficked US Route 24 is deemed an unsafe building.
“There's no 6-foot fence around it; it's not boarded up. So right now he's accumulating thousands upon thousands of dollars in fines,” said Ricca. “We're working to end this standoff, basically, and get it down.”
Ricca says none of the property fines have been paid and he has not spoken directly to Lord Mic, but the village attorneys have been in contact with him.
“The court would have to award us those fines. We can assess them, but that's why we're in court,” said Ricca.
WCBU reached out to Lord Mic multiple times for comment, and did not receive any response.
Ricca says the village already missed one chance at grant funding to demolish the building.
“There is federal money (available) to help take it down, and we had that opportunity a couple years ago,” said Ricca, referring to efforts by former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos to secure a federal grant. “But the owner didn't want to – it has to be owned by the village for us to tear it down, and we didn't own it and he wouldn't turn it over to us.
“So we lost that grant, and that was the same grant they used to tear the Harrison and McKinley schools down in Peoria, which is 100% grant. It’s a wonderful grant, but we didn't get it.”
Ricca says the village hopes the legal steps can lead to Bartonville acquiring the property and pursuing new funding.
“We'll see what he (Lord Mic) wants to do and how he wants to do it, and how the court rules,” said Ricca. “We understand that it's an eyesore coming into town; I mean, every member on our board knows that, and for several terms passed they knew that.
“But we didn't own it, and you don't want to tear it down if you don't own it. It's very, very expensive; you're talking a $1.5-$2 million to tear that building down. We don't have that kind of money just sitting around.”
