Courthouse issue – no easy answers
Courthouse issue – no easy answers
By CHERYL ODDEN
What is the future of the McLean County Courthouse?
Will it be torn down and replaced with a modern, more efficient structure?
Will it undergo a series of renovations and retain its place as a historical landmark?
According to Ladd Erickson, the best option can only be determined after exploring the costs and benefits associated with either scenario.
The future of the existing structure came into question earlier this year after the second of two employees was diagnosed with histoplasmosis, a serious medical condition that can be linked to bat excrement, or guano.
Even though the courthouse appears to be free of the bats that have plagued the structure for many years, there has not been a means to eradicate the guano from spaces within courthouse walls. As a result, several county offices have been or will be moved to other locations in the city.
Erickson and Ron Krebsbach, a McLean County commissioner, were guest speakers during the Garrison Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Affairs Committee meeting Monday.
Krebsbach described the current situation as “in transit.” Even though employees are in
