So, where does the Burwell Building stand today? Since 2018, when The Store closed, the building has continued to deteriorate. The roof, thankfully, was repaired by the city in 2012, but no other improvements have been made since.
The Restoration Association had an engineering study done in May. The results show the following:
The repairs made to the roof in 2012 appear to have stopped further deterioration of the inside of the building. However, a new roof and gutters will be needed.
The building, while needing extensive repairs, is still structurally sound
Repairs needed include:
Tuckpointing of the outside brick and some walls need to be structurally shored up
New windows and doors
Interior plaster walls need to be taken down in places and repaired in others
All plumbing and electrical systems need to be replaced
All new HVAC
Mold remediation
ADA accessibility
Lead paint remediation
The addition to the back of the building needs to be torn down
Some of the flooring on the first floor needs to be replaced
This may seem like a lot, and it is, but the good news is - this can all be fixed! And the beautiful crown molding in the Opera House is still in excellent condition (as seen in the above picture). The building is structurally sound and, while it may take some time to finish, we have a great support system helping us along.
The Gibson City Restoration Assocation voted to purchase the building at the May meeting. If all goes as planned, we should be signing the papers and taking ownership this week. Hooray!!
Our first order of business is to clean out all the items, left over from The Store, from the first floor. The Rotary Club has offered to assist us with clean up. The Presbyterian church has approved funds to help us hire a grant writer and pay for removing the stray cats. Hearthside Food Solutions has donated face masks and gloves for all workers to wear as we are cleaning up. We are overwhelmed by the amount of support from the community. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
And, we can't forget all of our loyyou!al Queen of Hearts players! They come to Jay's Place every Wednesday, to support us and see who might take away the jackpot of over $13,000 (yes, you read that right - our jackpot is currently at $13,380)!! Please consider joining us on Wednesday night. Tickets are only a $1!! Follow our Facebook page titled "Gibson City Restoration Queen of Hearts" for up-to-the-minute updates on our jackpot total and watch our drawing live every Wednesday night!
Also, as we dive into the restoration of this wonderful old building, consider following along on our journey. Please follow us on Facebook at Gibson City Restoration Association. We will be posting pictures and videos of our restoration progress.
Lastly, if you feel so inclined, you can support our restoration efforts by making a tax deductible contribution. You can send your donation via Paypal (GCRestorationAssociation @gmail.com), Venmo (@GibsonCityQueenofHearts - just note your payment is for a donation in the comments) or by mailing a check to GCRA at 617 S. Sangamon Ave, Gibson City, IL 60936. We are a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Join us next time as we dive into the life of M. T. Burwell and the lasting impact he had on Gibson City.
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