Demolition Expected to Get Underway This Week on Vacant Mill Race Inn

GENEVA, IL - Demolition of the vacant Mill Race Inn in downtown Geneva is scheduled to start Wednesday or Thursday after the city gave Shodeen Construction Company permission to tear the former restaurant down.

Crews will be removing the “superstructure” and portions of the existing foundation that surround the circa 1846 limestone paper manufactory building, according to city officials. The building at 4 E. State St. was renovated in 1933 for the establishment of the iconic Mill Race Inn restaurant, which closed in 2011.

Shodeen anticipates the demolition will last three weeks, weather permitting. The city’s permit requires the project to be completed in 30 days, according to a city press release.

After the demolition is finished, the site will be graded, seeded and fenced for safety as the redevelopment process continues. The developer will evaluate the 1846 limestone sections to see if the structure can be considered a historic landmark or if it could be incorporated into any future development of the property, according to the news release.

The future use of Mill Race Inn property has not been determined. To date, Shodeen has not submitted a development application to the city. Once an application has been reviewed by city staff, residents will have an opportunity to give input during a public hearing held by the Geneva Plan Commission, according to the news release.