Shodeen Moves Forward With Plans to Tear Down Geneva’s Mill Race Inn

GENEVA, IL - The city’s building division has received a permit application from Shodeen Construction Co. for the selective demolition of the long-vacant Mill Race Inn property located at 4 E. State Street in downtown Geneva, according to a city of Geneva press release.

The applicant is seeking approval for the removal of the “superstructure” and portions of the existing foundation that surround the circa 1846, limestone paper manufactory building, according to city officials. The building was renovated in 1933 by August Wilson & Son for the establishment of Ann Forsyth’s iconic Mill Race Inn restaurant.

The proposed, selective demolition work will retain the existing, concrete foundation walls of the restaurant building and gazebo that lie within the floodplain, adjacent to the east bank of the Fox River. Selective demolition work will include the abatement of asbestos at locations identified by a professional environmental engineering consultant, according to city officials.

The proposed work includes the disconnection of all on-site utility services and the removal of certain trees, primarily those in close proximity to the existing structure. Upon completion of the proposed, selective demolition work, the site will be graded, seeded, and fenced for safety and security while re-development investigation and planning continues.

Additionally, once the selective demolition is complete, the architectural and structural integrity of the circa 1846, limestone paper manufactory building will be professionally evaluated for consideration as a local or national historic landmark and feasibility for rehabilitation and incorporation into future redevelopment proposals for the Mill Race Inn site.

Demolition work is expected to commence immediately following review and approval by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA); the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), and the City of Geneva.

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