COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – An administrative law judge in Lansing has ordered the Coldwater Historic District Commission to reconsider its decision to deny the demolition of the former Gillespie Funeral Home building. The judge last week gave the commission two months to reconsider the application of Southern Michigan Bank and Trust for the demolition of the buidling at 27 Marshall Street.
The nearly century old structure was purchased by SMB&T at auction in July 2015 with the purpose of tearing it down, and city staff agreed before the Historic District Commission intervened. The building lies within both the Downtown Development Authority and Historic District Commission districts, so the DDA board is December was urged to write a letter of support for the demolition and forward it to SMB&T.
DDA board member and Coldwater Mayor Tom Kramer said at the time that the vision for the property of green space or redesigning the lot for more community benefits is clearly the better option than having the building sit there and further deteriorate. Kramer, who made the motion to have the support letter prepared, said the DDA is acting at a time when the city struggles to fill the commercial buildings it has, adding that there is value in supporting and honoring our architecture, but he doesn’t see that’s the case with the Gillespie property.
The required reconsideration of the bank’s petition to demolish the building will be considered at the next regular meeting of the Historic District Commission on Wednesday April 13, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers of the Henry L. Brown Municipal Building.
