Joe Stanton: Thoughts on Vacant Properties in Geneva

Geneva developer and landlord Joe Stanton has terrific insight about property development in downtown Geneva. Here are some of his thoughts on vacant spaces, from Hamilton Street to the East Side.

  It's amazing what a 17-minute conversation can mean when the person you're talking to is Joe Stanton. Few people know more about what's happening with downtown Geneva properties. Fewer still—if any—have his credentials as a developer, landlord, businessman and Geneva cheerleader. Five stories came from that 17-minute conversation after the May 6 City Council meeting ended early. This is the fifth of that series—a roundup of some of the topics covered in that quick Q&A.   ARE YOU DOING WELL? "All my buildings had to be remortgaged over the years. We carried a lot of tenants who couldn’t pay, but we didn’t want the storefronts empty because that didn’t benefit my other tenants. There were quite a few cases where we had tenants who paid the…

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Stanton: Former U.S. Bank Building Should Be Offices

"Sometimes the right decision is to put the bodies into Geneva, not a business, and I think that building is a perfect example," Stanton says.

  The former U.S. Bank building at the corner of North Third Street and Hamilton Street ought to be marketed as office space, downtown Geneva developer and landlord Joe Stanton says. "The bank building on the corner of Hamilton and Third, I know there’s been a lot of interest. I’ve been in there quite a few times," he said. "But it’s going to take something very creative. It’s going to be a tough time to get (a tenant)—because of the shape of that building. "The building needs to be subdivided. You might get away with a couple commercial entities facing Third Street, but the truth of the matter is we need for that to be an office building again." A big part of the longrange downtown plan is to encourage more residential development so that…

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Park District Will Open Community Theater in 'Underground' Space

Second in a Series: Geneva businessman and development Joe Stanton has a new tenant: Geneva Park District, which is going to take over the space that once was the Geneva Underground Playhouse.

  More evidence of an upturn in downtown development comes with the news that theGeneva Park District has leased the former Geneva Underground Playhouse space, with plans to start a community theater program, Joe Stanton said in a brief interview Monday. "We just wrapped up the leases on that," he said. The Park District will take over the space at 524 W. State St., in the Stanton Building that once held the non-profit theater group that  had existed in large part because of the donated time of its various board members and Stanton's largess as landlord. The GUP opened in May 2009 with a production of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man and held 14 major productions until it announced its closing on Feb. 18. "We carried them for years hoping it …

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Jack

12:51 am on Monday, May 13, 2013

Do something for the city, and you might get some.   more ›

Stanton Makes a Bid for the Mill Race Inn Property

First in a Series: Geneva businessman and development Joe Stanton says he'd love to see a restaurant return to the iconic riverfront property, but a more likely scenario would be high-density riverfront living.

  News Flash: Joe Stanton has made a bid on the Mill Race Inn property. And he's not alone. "I actually have an offer in on the Mill Race property, as do a few other people," Stanton said during an interview after Monday's City Council meeting. The property has gone into foreclosure, so the price has dropped by more than $1.3 million from its listing a year ago. "I think the bank has been realistic on what they want on it, so I would assume a deal would be forthcoming pretty soon," Stanton said. Stanton has no illusions about the challenges of developing the site, which very likely suffered some additional damage in the Great Flood of 2013. "You have a building next to the river that’s been vacant, and without air conditioners or heaters …

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Cassandra Lakeland

6:38 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013

It would be wonderful if the Mill Race could be restored to the beautiful landmark it once was. I have fond memories of a rehearsal dinner there almost 40 years ago. I attended many a baby and bridal shower in that restaurant. It was a great place to meet with out of town relatives for Christmas and dining with friends ringing in the New Year and it brought tourists to the town. The food used to …   more ›

Pure Oil Building Headed for National Register of Historic Places

Genevans, the Historic Preservation Commission applauded for saving the distinctive downtown landmark, once scheduled for demolition.

At first, it was curious that more people weren't attending Tuesday's Historic Preservation Commission meeting, considering the topic was the Pure Oil Building. But it's also easy to see why the meeting wasn't a big deal. After all, HPC support for putting the Pure Oil building on the National Register is a no-brainer if ever there was one. Historic Prevervation Commissioner Mike Bruno described the domestic cottage-style structure as "one of the most valuable and iconic buildings in (its) place and time." "I don't think there's any question about our vote on this," Bruno said. "We've been neck deep or deeper in the preservation of this building." Indeed, few topics in Geneva during that past year that have generated more conversation, …

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Mike Bruno

9:37 am on Saturday, January 19, 2013

Well, I think putting a bank drive-through (and a bank) is a travesty in terms of municipal planning, but the building was preserved as well as it realistically could have. The street-side facades are being restored to their original condition. Some very nice landscape/hardscape is going in. The building (as a gas station) really is little more than a shell. There was an addition at the rear that…   more ›

Correction: Pure Oil Building Nominated for National Register of Historic Places—HPC Vote Tuesday

Geneva's Historic Preservation Commission will vote Tuesday on whether to endorse the nomination of the controversial Pure Oil Building into the National Register. Joe Stanton no longer owns the property.

Geneva's Pure Oil Building has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, and Geneva's Historic Preservation Commission has been asked to give its seal of approval in a vote Tuesday. According to the HPC agenda packet, "the former Pure Oil Service State has been recommended for consideration under National Register Criterion C as a representative property possessing “distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction.” The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, at City Hall. The HPC is a recommending body, so the full City Council would have to approve the action. That has to be done prior to Feb. 22, when the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council is scheduled to review the case. The owner …

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Geneva Newsmakers Countdown 2012—No. 4: Joe Stanton

Editor's note: This is the seventh of a 10-part countdown of articles looking back at the Geneva newsmakers of 2012. The No. 1 newsmaker will be Geneva Patch's 2012 "Person of the Year."

  Yes, Joe Stanton was the Wood Award winner in 2011—but he was a newsmaker in 2012 because of his association with one of the top stories of the year: the possible demolition of the Pure Oil Building. On Feb. 21, Geneva Historic Preservation Commission voted 5-1 to deny a demolition permit for the blue-roofed former gas station that was at the time the home of The Pure Gardener, 502 W. State St. Stanton, who owns the building as well as the one next door to the west, argued alongside commercial architect Jeffrey Lietz and St. Charles Bank & Trust President Tom Hansen that it would cost $360,000 to modernize the interior, an investment Stanton said would prohibit any adaptive reuse of the building. Commission members also heard testimony …

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Jack

10:43 am on Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Yeah, thanks a lot, Joe, for desecrating both a great old building and a very appropriate use for it as the "Pure Gardener". That kind of "getting things done" we can do without. What was your second choice, a drive-through liquor store?   more ›

Jeff Ward

Cole Travel Says Goodbye

Another downtown Geneva business is going down.

We don’t take it seriously enough because it happens to us in inches. In fact, the deterioration process is very similar to how the Universe will eventually fade into a cold, dead, empty space. Sometimes the end comes with a whimper. When we finally do reach that tipping point, as I believe we already have, we will react to it much like we do when watching our first child head off to college. We’ll wonder where the time went and how this kind of thing could’ve happened right under our noses. If we have regrets, we’ll harbor a desperate desire go back and relive some of those difficult moments. But it’s too late. It’s out of our hands. The arrow of time only points in one direction. After 52 years in Geneva, Cole Travel is closing up shop. …

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Jeff Ward: If You Don't Like the New Pure Oil Building Plan, Consider This

Don't underestimate yourselves, Genevans. You have more power than you think!

OK. I’m not terribly thrilled with the recent turn of events regarding the Pure Oil building, either. While it’s gratifying to see the building will survive, one can’t escape the fact that, after property owner Joe Stanton insistently told each and every alderman it could not be converted to a bank drive-through—or any other use—it’s going to be converted to a bank drive-through. That little paradox might just redefine the term “disingenuous.” Not only that, but until St. Charles Bank agreed to go along with this non-destructive re-adaptation plan, Stanton had the paperwork to sue the city all initialed and ready to go. Talk about someone who won’t take no for an answer. Though I’m certain the city administration would not have made any …

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Noel G. Rooks

12:54 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012

I have to say also that being involved in this has been a crash course in how municipal planning works. :)   more ›

UPDATE: New Pure Oil Building Plan Approved by HPC

At Tuesday's meeting, the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission decides to OK revised plans that will save the facade of the historic former gas station.

Geneva's Historic Preservation Commission OK'd revised plans that will turn the Pure Oil building into a bank drive-through if it gains Plan Commission and City Council approval. Blogger Noel Rooks reports that the HPC approved the plan to put a bank drive-through for Geneva Bank & Trust in the Pure Oil building Tuesday night. Rooks said commissioners separated the landscaping plan from the motion in order to review it further before a meeting May 29. The architect added in a "lollipop style" sign to the presentation that will mimic the old Pure Oil signage. There will also be some type of plaque or commemorative to educate the public on the significance of the building, Rooks said. HPC members who originally voted against demolition of …

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Noel G. Rooks

4:51 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012

As the commissioners stated last night, this is one of the 91 approved uses for this site. The drive through will require a special use. That said, many of them voted for this strictly because it meets preservation requirements, and said so last night. The thing to do is to petition for a change to the approved uses, one of the commissioners said that this should be the course of action if you do…   more ›