Public model unveiled: The volunteer preservation group presented an architectural model on Thursday, January 8, which they said shows what the Alexander Brothers’ foundry and blacksmith shop looked like when it was built in 1845 and how it could be restored to that era’s appearance. The showcase was intended to help residents and officials better visualize a full restoration rather than continued deterioration or demolition.

Adaptive reuse concept: The proposal calls for restoring the structure and using it as a Tri-Cities visitor information center, with public restrooms, brochures, maps, and space to orient cyclists, river users, and visitors to Geneva, Batavia, and St. Charles. The site’s proximity to the Fox River Trail, Illinois Prairie Path, and downtown Geneva is key to the proposed plan.

Funding and feasibility: Preservationists point to a past city-commissioned consultant study that estimated renovation costs at about $1.7 million and concluded reuse could be viable as part of a public-private partnership.

Demolition still on the table: The owner and many residents continue to argue that restoring the structure is too costly and that the building blocks redevelopment of the former Mill Race Inn site. City officials are set to consider whether to overrule the Historic Preservation Commission’s recent denial of a demolition request at a special City Council meeting on Monday, January 12.