It's time to address the demolition of a downtown building

For far too long, this community has allowed an unsafe and unsightly structure to stand unused and uninhabited at McCook's main downtown intersection.

The building in question -- known in recent years as the Romanoff Building -- was one of the early day centers of commerce in the community, serving as a bank in the final years of the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s.

But, after parking was taken off B Street, the building's value as a business location faded and occupants became fewer and farther between. For the past several years, there have been no human occupants in the three-story building located on the northwest corner of Norris Avenue and B Street. Left idle, the already old building has deteriorated further, with leaks, busted pipes and broken windows speeding its demise.

At one time, the building would have qualified for historical preservation, as it featured the outside ornamentation popular at the turn of the century. But those days are long since past, with the building's original design hidden under a coat of light-colored stucco. To make the problem even worse, the old, decaying structure has been invaded by insects and rodents, including -- but not limited to -- mice, rats and cockroaches.

Does that sound like a candidate for condemnation to you? Even though it may, the City of McCook has hesitated to take the step. The reason is that the cost would be excessive, with Director of Public Works Mary Conroy estimating it would take more than $100,000 to dismantle the building and dispose of the rubble. Why so much? Because the old building contains asbestos, a cancer-causing agent which must be disposed of in costly, federally mandated ways.

So what's the answer? Because the building sits in the heart of the downtown district -- on one of McCook's most visible corners -- the owner, the city and business people need to work together to come up with a solution.

The building needs to be torn down, the debris needs to be hauled away, and an attractive mini-park -- similar to the one across the street to the east -- needs to be created in its place.

It won't be cheap to do all this, with a price tag of more than $250,000 likely for demolition, debris removal and renovation of the rectangular lot facing B Street. But, by working together, the city, the property owner and community groups could greatly improve the appearance of McCook's main downtown intersection.

Someone needs to step forward to lead the campaign. The eyesore at Norris and B needs to be removed ... and the sooner the better.