Azemi felt the barn was well within the realm of saving and restoring. Since it is not post and beam construction, moving it is not an option. As a minimum, he would recommend general clean up, wrap the building in Tyvek, re-side, paint, repair windows and seal building against weather and animals. Estimated cost less than $100,000. If the barn is to be used later as a public building, insulation and interior finish would be required as well as fire alarm, exit doors, stairs and possibly a fire sprinkler system. Azemi was impressed with the possible creative use of the silos which frame the south facade.
Ultimate Owner
The bigger question seems to be what entity would take ultimate ownership of the building and for what use. As the barn sits in what will be most likely a St. Charles Park District park, they would be the most likely candidate for ownership. A follow up discussion with Mary Ochsenschlager and Barry Ryan of St. Charles Park District confirmed that the barn would be acceptable for Park District use and ownership on a 2 phase basis:
Other possible options for an end use would be:
The developer has concerns that would have to be addressed about the maintenance of the site and building, and prohibiting outside storage.
Similar Examples
Similar examples of preserving barns with creative end uses abound in Kane County. Some examples are:
Conclusion
The barn should be saved and an ownership agreement worked out with the St. Charles Park District or other entity. The developer should do the "Phase 1" improvements as mentioned above as well as provide a 1" domestic water and 6" fire water supply stubs to the lot. This conclusion is based on the following findings:
It is suggested that all concerned parties work with the Kane County Development Dept. to reach a successful preservation plan for this structure as the development moves through the approval process.