ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — After years of legal battles between the Rock Island County Board and historical preservation groups, The Courthouse Revitalization Committee (CRVC) is renewing its call for the Rock Island County Board to suspend demolition activities, gather accurate information and earnestly engage with citizen preservationists before spending in excess of $674,000 to demolish the historic Rock Island County courthouse, according to a press release from the CRVC.
The press release summarizes information obtained through public records and FOIA requests submitted to various government entities.
The CRVC released four findings in the release:
1. Examples of inaccurate information presented to the Board at key junctures.
The CRVC alleges that Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos presented misleading evidence concerning the building's condition to the board on two separate occasions in 2016 and 2019. They attest that he framed cosmetic imperfections as dangerous structural concerns.
The organization also contends that board member Kai Swanson made misleading statements during a March 2021 Committee of the Whole meeting, commenting that "...the southern side was about to sink into the soil."
2. Example of elected and appointed officials acting to circumvent Historic Preservation ignoring citizen input, and unilaterally determining the Historic Courthouse will be demolished:
The CRVC claims that a July 17, 2017 public hearing, in which numerous citizens spoke in favor of preservation, only took place after Judge Walter Braud, Sheriff Bustos and the Public Building Commission had already decided to demolish the courthouse. They allege that this reveals that the group of officials had no interest in heeding public input.
3. Lawsuits, Appellate Court Ruling, Consultation and Memorandum of Agreement
The CRVC says that although the Rock Island County Board has maintained that the Illinois State Agency Historic Resources Preservation Act did not apply to the courthouse, the Third District Appellate Court ruled in July 2020 that the law does apply to the courthouse.
The ruling resulted in a consultation held with the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office. The CRVC claims that no public hearings or details have been released to the public. The consultation led to a Memorandum of Agreement which would enable the courthouse's demolition if approved by the State Historic Preservation Office.
4. CRVC Call for Action and Investigation
The CRVC alleges that public input in the matter has fallen on deaf ears, leading many Rock Island County citizens to suspect a conflict of interest among county officials.
The group claims that there is no evidence to suggest that the courthouse is a danger to the public, a security threat or structurally unstable. The CRVC believes that the courthouse is an irreplaceable historic landmark that can be a source of economic growth if properly reused.
What's Next?
The Courthouse would have been torn down in early 2020 had it not been for a lawsuit filed by preservationists and upheld by the state Appeals Court.
The CRVC attended the Rock Island County Board's meeting on Sept. 20 at 5:30 p.m. to reiterate their requests. The meeting was open to the public.
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