Lebanon council approves paperwork to solicit demolition bids for Old City Hall after residents urge preservation

Lebanon City Council on May 11 approved a committee recommendation asking the city attorney to prepare paperwork to solicit bids to demolish the Old City Hall building, with asbestos remediation included in the scope.

The action followed public comment from neighbors and other residents who urged the council to pause and explore rehabilitation options. "Demolition is permanent. Once this building is gone, Lebanon does not get it back," said resident Scott Simone, whose property borders the historic building. Simone noted the structure sits in Lebanon's historic district and urged the council to consider grants, tax credits and adaptive reuse before deciding to demolish.

Council members said there are practical constraints. One council member who inspected the building argued the structure has extensive mold, structural and systems problems and said, "No investor would ever go into that building and renovate it." Committee members recommended soliciting bids that would include asbestos abatement rather than commissioning separate pre-bid hazardous-material testing; members debated whether bidders should be required to inspect before bidding or allowed to include remediation in their price.

The council also discussed whether the building’s listing within the 1978 historic district places limits on demolition. The presiding official said they contacted the State Historic Preservation Office and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; "The only significance to the building is that in 1978... it was included in the historic district," the presiding official said, adding that absent state or federal funding or permitting the listing does not by itself block demolition.

The committee recommendation to have the city attorney draw up paperwork to solicit demolition bids, including asbestos removal, was approved by roll call vote with the members present recorded as voting in favor. Council members also asked staff to consider storage options for records and property removal from the Old City Hall and to seek estimates for those services before proceeding.

Council members and residents highlighted possible funding paths to reduce local costs: a council member noted state and federal grants often require a local match and cited a common requirement that the city contribute roughly 25 percent of a project’s cost for grant eligibility. Officials said no bids or firm cost estimates for renovation or demolition had been received and that formal, documented estimates will be necessary before committing to construction or demolition contracts.

The council’s vote advances the procurement step; it does not itself authorize demolition work. Next steps identified by members include receiving bid documents from the attorney, clarifying asbestos-removal responsibilities in the bidding documents, and, where relevant, seeking historic-preservation grant opportunities or alternative adaptive-reuse proposals.