Pekin city officials have run out of patience with the owners of a vacant building in the heart of one of the city's business districts.
The city has filed in Tazewell County Court for foreclosure on the property at 2801 Court Street that formerly was a Motel 6 and McCritter's Bar & Grill. Each business closed in 2022.
The building, next to the Pekin Insurance headquarters, is deteriorating and enclosed by fencing provided by the property owners at the request of the city because of safety concerns and to keep out squatters.
The Pekin City Council was officially informed about the foreclosure in an item on its meeting agenda Monday, then the council discussed the legal action that forces a sale of the property to pay off debts in a closed session.
Fateh Gold LLC is listed in the Aug. 14 foreclosure filing as the owner of the property. A July 2023 Tazewell County real estate transaction shows Concorde Hotel LLC sold the property to Fateh Gold LLC for $450,000.
Pekin City Manager John Dossey said the property has multiple city code and safety issues "and the owners aren't responsive. They've done nothing. They've forced the city to take this action."
"The city has had to mow the property several times. The building is in worse condition every day," he said. "The owners were supposed to provide us with architectural drawings about two months ago. That hasn't happened."
Pekin Insurance was interested in 2023 in purchasing the property for green space, but it backed off after learning the cost of demolishing the building was four times higher than expected, said Pekin Insurance spokesman Joel Jackson.
Pekin Fire Department gets OK to buy a police vehicle that will be staffed 24/7 by a paramedic
Calls to the Pekin Fire Department for service increased from 790 in 1977 to 6,971 last year while the number of firefighters fell from 58 to 56.
To help bridge the ever-increasing gap, the fire department will purchase a 2025 Ford Police Interceptor that will be on the road 24/7 and be used starting Jan. 1 as a quick response vehicle licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health at the Advanced Life Support level.
Staffed by one paramedic, the vehicle will respond to low-acuity calls from staffed facilities like nursing homes, doctor's offices and clinics and high-acuity calls such as severe trauma, cardiac arrest and multiple patients.
The latter use has the additional benefit of saving wear-and-tear on the fire department's major apparatus that won't be needed to respond.
With the purchase of the vehicle, the fire department's current 14-year-old rescue vehicle will be placed in reserve.
Pekin Fire Chief Trent Reeise said this shift in the fire department's response model was vetted by a joint labor/management committee and most likely will be tweaked and modified over the next several years.
"Both the fire department administration and Local 524 support this change," Reeise said. "The ever-increasing need for fire department services from the community is a national trend we must adapt to."
The Pekin Fire Department has 29 paramedics on staff, according to Reeise.
Reeise asked the council to approve leasing an Interceptor from Enterprise Rent-a-Car for 48 months at $915 per month.
But council voted 5-1 to instead purchase an Interceptor for a price not to exceed $50,000 from Morrow Brothers Ford in Greenfield. John Abel cast the lone "no" vote to make the change.
"Morrow Brothers is where municipalities go to purchase police cars," said Pekin City Manager John Dossey. "The state went out for bids and secured a contract with them, so the price of the Interceptor will be cheaper than if we purchased it on our own."
Council voted 5-1 again to buy the Interceptor from Morrow Brothers. Rick Hilst voted "no."
New life for the Pekin Fire Department's 2007 Pierce Fire Engine
The Pekin Fire Department's 2007 Pierce Fire Engine will be getting a makeover.
Nevada-based Fire Trucks Unlimited, the only company that refurbishes fire and emergency service vehicles, will do the work for $521,773, with half of the cost due at the signing of the contract. Work will begin in late spring next year and take about six months.
"The refurbishment process includes upgrading, repairing and refinishing components to transform a fire engine into like-new condition," said Pekin Fire Chief Trent Reeise. "Fire Trucks Unlimited expects a full second life for an apparatus after refurbishment."
Reeise requested $600,000 for the work to cover unexpected change orders. Council unanimously approved his request Monday.
American Rescue Plan funds will be used for the down payment for refurbishing the 2007 fire engine. The final payment will be budgeted by the city in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Public Works Department's request to purchase a trench burner goes down in flames
A request by Pekin Public Works Director Dean Schneider to purchase a trench burner from Florida-based Air Burners for $65,468 was rejected Monday by the council.
The burner, which meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements for burning materials and is "virtually smokeless," according to Schneider, would have been used to dispose of tree limbs following storms, and a mile-long tree line of about 100 to 150 trees at the Pekin Municipal Airport that needs to be removed because of Federal Aviation Administration sight requirements.
Schneider said the burner also could have used by surrounding communities, which would have been charged daily or hourly rates, and reduce costs for Pekin's tree limb disposal.
The vote to purchase the burner was 3-3, with Rick Hilst, Dave Nutter and Lloyd Orrick casting the "no" votes and Mayor Mary Burress, John Abel and Chris Onken voting "yes." Karen Hohimer did not attend the meeting.
Obsolete, out-of-date city policies given the boot
In other action Monday, the council approved:
- Getting rid of outdated city policies that adjusted wastewater billing in 2007-08 and offered sales commission for Realtors who brought a business to Pekin. The former policy is obsolete and no longer enforceable, said City Manager John Dossey, and the latter policy is no longer considered a best practice. It was last in effect in 2010. The vote was unanimous to remove both policies.
- A residential tax increment financing agreement with Patricia Friedrich, who is building a home at 12 Ashwood Lane. The cost of the home is $420,000. Friedrich could receive up to $37,000 in property tax rebates over 10 years. The vote was 5-1, with Rick Hilst casting the "no" vote.
- Emergency spending of $36,523 for a sewer lining on Black Street between Meyers Court and Prince Street. City Engineer Josie Esker said during repair work on a large sinkhole in the pavement, city crews discovered that a concrete sewer pipe near the sinkhole had severely deteriorated. Hoerr Construction from Goodfield did the sewer lining work. The vote for the emergency spending was unanimous.
TIF funds are still available for building improvements
Also Monday, the council:
- Directed Economic Development Director Josh Wray to continue negotiating with business owners who are interesting in building improvement TIF funding. About $60,000 in funding remains available this fiscal year. Wray said at least two businesses have expressed interest in funding, including one looking to relocate to Pekin from Peoria.
- Directed Chief Building Official Nic Maquet to continue developing a foreclosure and vacant property registration program that would list contacts who should be "addressing safety and aesthetic concerns ... that occur as a result of foreclosure and long-term vacancy," Marquet said. A contractor most likely would need to be hired to compile the contact list, Maquet said.
- Delayed a vote on allowing parking along the south side of Park Avenue between Court Street and Garden Drive, in front of 1430 and 1432 Park Avenue, until the Oct. 14 council meeting because Daniel Shipman, who lives at 1430 Park Avenue and made the parking request, is dealing with an emergency. City staff doesn't recommended approval of the parking request following several Traffic Safety Committee recommendations to deny the request and an analysis by an engineering firm. The vote to delay was 4-2, with John Abel and Chris Onken voting "no."
- Heard the details of a three-year marketing strategy proposal for the city from McDaniels Marketing in Pekin. Company President Randy McDaniels and Chief Operating Officer Beth Geier made the presentation. A contract with McDaniels Marketing is expected to be on the council's Oct. 14 agenda.
