Appellate court decision staves off county courthouse demolition
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Rock Island, IL (WQAD) — The Illinois Third District Appellate Court sided with Landmark Illinois in its lawsuit to stave off the demolition of the historic Rock Island County Courthouse.
In the opinion issued on Thursday, July 16th, the court said that Rock Island County could not proceed with the demolition of the building without consulting with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and considering the Illinois State Historic Resources Preservation Act.
Landmarks Illinois joined forces with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Rock Island Preservation Society, the Moline Preservation Society, the Broadway Historic District Association and local residents Fred Shaw and Diane Oestreich to file the lawsuit protecting the courthouse in February 2019. The original lawsuit was dismissed the following March Rock Island County appealed.
“Landmarks Illinois is pleased the Appellate Court determined that the county must follow state preservation law, affirming the public’s right to be consulted on the future of their courthouse,” said Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois. “We stand ready to be a voluntary resource to the county to find a preservation solution benefitting the people of Rock Island County, which we believe is available and feasible.”
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