The Galesburg City Council approved the demolition of a former fire station Monday evening, along with 10 other dilapidated properties, and took action on several infrastructure projects, including sidewalk replacements and a new monitoring system for the city’s water pipeline.
Built in 1907, 659 Maple Ave. was the Maple Avenue Fire Station, serving the north side of Galesburg for 95 years until being replaced in 2002 by a new building on West Fremont Street. The building became a storage facility for the city, but over the course of 24 years, it has fallen into disrepair.
As noted by City Manager Eric Hanson at the meeting, it would cost at least $1.5 million to bring the building up to code and make it usable again. He also noted that the city provided a tour of the building, with no one offering to buy the property due to the high cost of repairs.
In August 2025, the City Council approved a bid by Fowler Enterprises LLC of Elgin for $55,700 for demolition, but the company did not complete the work, citing that the bid was too low. The city officially canceled that bid Monday evening and approved a new bid by D&T Demolition LLC of Galesburg for $94,680.
The work is expected to begin this month and be completed by the end of August.
Council member Heather Acerra, 5th Ward, explained following the meeting that while she is in favor of preserving historic buildings, “it was so far beyond reasonable repair in terms of the cost.”
“We did delay the decision (in 2025) when it was considered so that we could take our time and see if we could get it to local developers. But they all declined.”
Also approved was the demolition of 10 properties, as the council accepted a bid of $214,240 from N.E. Finch Co. of Peoria, which averages $21,240 per property. The properties are located at the following addresses: 874 S. Seminary St., 1149 McClure St., 46 N. Pearl St., 99 N. Elm St., 362 N. Broad St., 714 Mulberry St., 794 E. Berrien St., 862 S. Seminary St., 1786 Bateman St., and 1217 S. Pearl St.
Council members also approved several infrastructure-related items, including sidewalk replacement work and a new monitoring system for the city’s primary water pipeline.
● Approval of a bid of $88,552.90 from Miller & Son Construction Co. for various sidewalk replacement projects. Sidewalks at the intersections of Bateman and Greenleaf streets and Dudley and Kellogg streets are included in the project.
● Approval of an agreement for $35,300 with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly to begin a monitoring and inspection system of the 31-mile-long, 68-year-old pipeline from Oquawka to Galesburg, which supplies the city’s water.
City Manager Eric Hanson noted that this is part of a long-term plan to prevent more costly repairs and replacements in the future.
Also passing Monday evening:
● Approval of the use of the downtown parking lot on Simmons Street for “Food Truck Friday” events every second Friday of the month from May through September.
● Approval of membership with the Western Illinois Regional Council at an annual fee of $15,997.20. The organization handles multiple grants for the city, which has been a member since 2020.
● An ordinance allowing Purple Wave Auctions to auction off city property, including 16 used vehicles. Part of the ordinance will allow the donation or scrapping of 128 abandoned bicycles.
● Approval of an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation to handle the stormwater pumps located at the Sibley Underpass on East Main Street.
All measures passed unanimously, 6-0. Chuck Reynolds, 3rd Ward, was not present.
In public comments, a resident expressed concern regarding a dilapidated property on Sumner Street. Lia Barraza Sloan, the reigning Junior Miss Illinois, as part of her community service project, spoke about the work of Rainbow Riders Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center in Monmouth.
Closing comments:
● Dwight White, 4th Ward: said he recently spoke to a Knox College class.
● Heather Acerra, 5th Ward: noted the beginning of the Rootabaga Jazz Festival and Galesburg’s Farmers’ Market.
● Greg Saul, 6th Ward: noted it was “Star Wars Day,” also known as “May the Fourth.”
● Steve Cheesman, 7th Ward: thanked public commenters; noted his appreciation for the work his fellow council members do; also recognized the recent work of autism advocate Nick McMahill.
● Angelica Mangieri, 1st Ward: made no comment.
● Wendel Hunigan, 2nd Ward: noted the success of the past weekend’s Galesburg Public Library Foundation book sale, which he called the largest and most successful yet; he also noted that donations were made to fill the 13 Little Free Libraries maintained by the Rotary Club.
● Mayor Peter Schwartzman: recognized the beginning of the 2026 Stamp Out Hunger food drive and the role of Director of Public Works Aaron Gavin as part of the recent Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development delegation to Washington, D.C.
