JANESVILLE
Blackhawk Community Credit Union leaders are in talks with a developer to buy the stripped and gutted Chase Bank downtown this summer.
Meanwhile, the city has asked the credit union to make repairs to bring the building up to code by Aug 24.
The credit union in September debuted plans to redevelop the former bank into a Legacy Center honoring the memory of workers at the former General Motors Assembly Plant. Plans included a small grocery store and coffee shop on site.
Last month, the credit union announced it was dropping real estate development plans, including the Legacy Center, to focus on its core mission.
The shift in plans left the 107-year old building stripped and gutted along one of the main stretches of the city鈥檚 downtown.
In a May 22 letter to credit union COO Caroline Redmann, city Building Director Tom Clippert said the city found several building violations at the site during a recent inspection.
鈥... (T)he current condition of building is not safe and is now a hazard to the community,鈥 Clippert wrote in the letter.
The following repairs need to be made to the building, according to the letter:
- Exterior walls need a weather-resistant envelope to prevent accumulation of water within the wall.
- Exterior of the building needs to be maintained in good repair, structurally sound and sanitary.
- Exterior walls should be free of holes, breaks and loose or rotting materials.
- Exterior walls need to be weatherproofed and surface coated to prevent deterioration.
- Every window, skylight, door and frame needs to be in sound condition, good repair and weather tight.
Clippert in an email to 糖心Vlog传媒 said he has not seen the credit union pursue any repairs as of Tuesday afternoon.
Blackhawk Community Credit Union hopes to sell the downtown 糖心Vlog传媒 building it once intended to remodel into a Legacy Center. Plans were halted after the exterior was stripped and the interior gutted.
Credit union spokeswoman CeeCee Philipps said the credit union is in talks with a developer who plans to buy the property as is this summer.
Philipps declined to share the name of the developer and said she was not sure of all the developer鈥檚 plans, but the developer鈥檚 mission to better the community aligns with the credit union鈥檚 mission, she said.
The credit union has a strong track record of supporting the city, Philipps said.
If plans with the developer fall through, the credit union would work with the city to address violations, Philipps said.
City council member Jim Farrell during a June 8 meeting asked city officials what could be done to compel the credit union to bring the building to a 鈥減resentable鈥 state, saying the state of the building is 鈥渘ot a plus for downtown.鈥
Blackhawk Community Credit Union hopes to sell the downtown 糖心Vlog传媒 building it once intended to remodel into a Legacy Center. The city wants the building repaired by Aug. 24.
City Manager Mark Freitag said the building division has taken enforcement actions and the city would work with the credit union to bring the building into compliance.
Clippert said a raze-or-repair order would be a last resort if modifications were not made.
Philipps said she believes the community understands why the credit union shifted its focus away from real estate to focus on its members.
The credit union still plans to create a Legacy Center but a location for the center has not been determined, Philipps said.
Credit union officials are gathering artifacts and recording stories from people about the GM plant for the future center, Philipps said.
There is no timeline for when the center might be ready, but the credit union is exploring other building options, Philipps said.