No More Side Street Parking of Houses Allowed in Springfield

The Maisenbacher House, previously blogged, resides now on a frame built in a hole on the lot it will occupy forevermore. The foundation is still on the "to do list". But the house is out of the road. Hopefully now the company that moved it can head out east to their next job and Court and Karen can go forward with whatever is next. The saga of the house was gearing up to be a top story for Spfld. Then the governor came from behind, raced to the year end's finishing line, and left every other story at a standstill.

We surely do get riled up over some small stuff at times. Hot Rod (governor) has taught us nothing if not that we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. And, getting our community undies in a bunch over this house was the small stuff. Big Boy, Elvis, Jr., Hot Rod, The Hair - now he's worthy of some close attention. Keep your fingers crossed that he ends up in the Big House, and I don't mean this one!

A House Divided

...cannot stand. How ironic that this was said by the very man who financed the house in the street, Lincoln. See November 21st blog posting, please.

The chatter and clatter continues. Most recently the alderpeople decided to vote down what is now $279k to put in a foundation. When this first started I had heard the cost for the foundation was to be $150k. But, the economy sucks so I can understand the price change. The contractor may not have more work lined up yet.

The day after the vote to withhold the funding the radio was a-buzz with people yammering about this topic and showing how well-spoken central Illinois residents can be - not. If there is money to dish out, and I doubt there is, it should go to grammar rehabilitation programs. But, I digress.

So now what, we wait for the house to implode, crumble or reach a destination on its own? The folks who own the lot and structure face $1000/day fines from the owner of the moving firm if the "wheels" aren't returned by the 15th. They can't move it back where it came from as that land is quickly becoming a lovely plot of concrete with tasteful striping.

I say, re-route the street around the house, swapping the lot for the asphalt area, or just shorten the block. It's really not a busy through street at all and it would just extend the Lincoln tourist area. People need to walk more anyway. It'd be good for everyone.

So this Maisenbacher house won't be open for guests till things settle down and now the governor has thrown his propeller beanie hat into the mix by keeping his rarely kept word and closing down state attractions. Another house issue crops up in conversations all around town. That would be the now closed Dana-Thomas House in Springfield. It's a Frank Lloyd Wright design/construction and the Christmas highlight for many who annually trek there to see the house lit only by candles.

Frankly (no pun intended towards the late Mr. Wright), Bloggo should have just shut down the governor's mansion. No one lives there nor has anyone lived there since Hot Rod became governor. The tours are very limited and rarely annual journeys. That would save a lot of money in energy costs and staff costs. The wife likes Chicago and he's on a short leash we think. I like the city too but I live here. It works.

As for me and my house? Well, we remain in place and open for friends and relatives and the occasional wandering stranger.

Stuck in Traffic

Springfield, IL did NOT get the Simpson's movie. That means little to me but to some broadcasters it is the opening line for so-called news stories here in Lincoln's land.

It seems some business folks in town, who are really great people, chose to buy a home from the Lincoln era. This particular home recently ended up in the shadows of a newly constructed medical facility expansion. The property, and therefore the house, was scheduled to become - of all things - a parking lot. The couple purchased the home and had to move it within the designated time allowed by the medical facility and fortunately they had already purchased a lot in the historical area.

That's the background.

Sunday was moving day. A firm from St. Louis arrived with the equipment and talent to move the 300 ton brick structure. Streets were closed; a tree was removed and limbs from others cut off. Signs were taken down to let the house pass along the to its new destination. Nine hours and five blocks later the house arrived.

Did I mention Mr. Lincoln helped find financing for the house, something like $650 +/- a few? He did. Therein, the increased interest in the home - a Lincoln connection. The house is the Maisenbacher Home. They took really good care of it, apparently.

Back to the move, or what was clearly about to become the partial move.

Let me put you on hold momentarily and bring you up to speed on the side stories. You see I dawdled a while at the local Barnes & Noble Monday. We don't get the newspaper at our house anymore so when the house move came up in a discussion with 3 strangers I was interested. The new owners are personal friends of mine and former clients. That has no impact on the events other than I can vouch for them being good citizens and right-hearted, decent people. Anyway, I learned of a conversation one of these new acquaintances had while standing and watching the move. He was talking to the guy who was to put in the foundation.

The question presented was "How are you going to do this?" The answer was "I don't have a clue."



Are you starting to see the concern, soon to become a problem? Yes, the house is passing in front of the man who is in charge of building a foundation for it so WHERE is the house going to be placed now? The lot is small; the house is clearly large enough that it was wider than the street.

By the way, local radio media has taken to referring to this one block section of a side street as a "major thoroughfare".

The house resides in the street at this time.

Springfield's mayor thought he could slide a request for Tax Incentive Financing (TIF) into the hands of the aldermen, without them seeing it. Something along the lines of $822,000 was his idea. This was to help with the cost of the foundation and the renovation. Ouch. One alderman saw it. Now not every time one alderman sees something does he/she share it with the others; that's not the governmental way, folks. But in this case he did and the hands went up. It was a verbal brawl.

The new owners are in the middle of it all while their new prospective business is in the middle of the street.

See for yourselves.

Springfield was making great headway when President-Elect used the Old State Capitol as the backdrop for his announcements and it received a lot of attention.

This story will probably be even bigger news.
Stay tuned. More will follow undoubtedly. There's just no way around this house.