United Building, 5 others receive grants
The Landmark Commission approved Save Our Heritage grants for six historic properties Tuesday night, including $45,000 for the United Building at Sixth and Felix streets Downtown.
The city of St. Joseph grant program resumed this year after a hiatus of more than a year. Funding had dried up, but the grant program also faced other issues, including publicity of its availability and several unfinished projects.
The volunteer commission approved money for six of the eight applicants, although only one received the total amount they requested.
“As difficult as this decision is, these are exciting times in St. Joseph that we have so many people investing in historic properties,” said commissioner Jeff Daum.
The United Building, a former department store, is being renovated into full-rent loft apartments upstairs and commercial businesses on the ground floor. The total project by Archline LLC, of Kansas City, is estimated at $1.3 million. Construction could begin this month, depending on final permit approval by the city, said co-owner John Johntz III.
Other grant approvals are as follows:
National Military Heritage Museum, 701 Messanie St.: $15,000 for windows and doors on west side and tower.
Thomas and Tonya Rhein, 701 S. 17th St.: $10,000 to restore “endangered” Queen Anne Victorian.
Matthew and Travis Unzicker, 825 Vine St.: $10,000 for repairs to 1872 Edmund Eckel-designed house.
William Vockery, 1024 Charles St.: $10,000 for extensive reconstruction of “endangered” home.
Jordan Reilly, 1219 Felix St.: $10,000 for roof on 1895 Queen Anne Victorian.
The city funds the grants with riverboat gaming revenue. The city will place a lien on the property when the grant is awarded and lift the lien upon completion, and it will require projects to receive a certificate of occupancy rather than just be secured and “warehoused.”
The City Council will have to formally approve the funds for the United Building, due to surpassing $25,000.
Joe Blumberg can be reached at joeblumberg@npgco.com.
CORRECTION APPENDED: The original version of this story contained a mistake, due to a reporter's error. One project did receive the full amount requested. (Jordan Reilly, 1219 Felix St.)
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so glad to see that the NMHM ultimately prevailed! don't want to be a stickler, but one of the recipients did receive full funding, and justifiably so. i applaud the city for re-instating this vital funding, and the commission for their thoughtful and rational consideration.
Posted by JoeBlumberg on August 6, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)Heritage is correct about one project receiving the full amount they requested. The Reillys received the full amount they requested -- $10,000 -- for 1219 Felix St. Sorry about that.
Posted by heritage on August 6, 2008 at 11:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)hahaha, joe you are forgiven. to err is human.......
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