A Quad Cities developer is working on a proposal for the old Rock Island County courthouse to become a federal courthouse.
Michelle O'Neill reports.
On Wednesday, representatives from the federal government's General Services Administration were scheduled to take a virtual tour of the 120-year-old building in Rock Island.
Joe Lemon is one of several developers bidding on the federal courthouse project, and he's been working on the proposal for over a year. One of the items the GSA requires is a tour of the property.
Lemon's proposal is complicated because he doesn't own the courthouse. But the county board has now given its permission for the county to negotiate with Lemon in case the GSA selects his bid.
Last summer, the Illinois Third District Appellate Court ruled the county can't demolish the courthouse without complying with the Illinois State Historic Resources Preservation Act, and the county must complete a consultation process with the state DNR and EPA.
