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Politics & Government

New Plans for Pure Oil Building

Holy smokes! New plans will go before the HPC, keeping the building facade, but still using it for a bank drive-through.

Without a long review of the plans, you have to give a tip of the hat to Joe Stanton and the  St. Charles Bank & Trust for going back to the drawing board and finding another plan to preserve the Pure Oil building and the proposal that could bring the bank to downtown Geneva.

Critics immediately will note that the previous argument was that it couldn't be done. And now the plans show that it can.

According to a report from the city staff, what's being proposed is an adaptive use of the building as the bank’s drive‐through facility. The revised plan preserves the building’s State Street‐facing elevations (north and east) but also includes the demolition of the southern section of the building, removal of the garage doors, and the punching a hole in the west wall of the building for use of the westernmost service bay as a drive‐through banking lane.

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The plan includes repair of the building overall, including window repair and repainting, the report says. The east section will be preserved, but no specific use has been identified. Suggestions include a public information center or public restrooms.

The plan calls for demolition of the building at 12 S. Fifth St. It is listed as "non‐contributing to the historic district," according to the city's report.

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"The building has been altered over the years, so its demolition would not be considered a loss of a historic building," the report says.

Plans also call for modifications and additions to the 514 W. State St. building, which include adding architectural features that echo details of historic architecture. 

"The changes proposed come close to replicating historic styles but the building would still be discernible as newer construction even as it ages," the city's report says.

The HPC is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. May 15 at City Hall.

The proposed plan provides 17 spaces on site, and six or seven in the right of way.

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