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What started as an effort to save one troubled building from demolition has
given rise to a new local Main Street program for this community, which is
located 35 miles west of Springfield. In 2005, a dilapidated multi-family
residence went through foreclosure and was slated for demolition. Faced with
the prospect of an unsightly vacant lot, the Farmers State Bank and Trust
Company donated the property to Jacksonville Main Street (JMS), whose
mission is to rehabilitate the downtown area. The JMS board took the
opportunity to create a model for rehabilitation by returning the property
to single-family use through a series of innovative partnerships. Debris
from the site was cleared by a county work camp crew. Materials and labor
were donated by local area business leaders, who also provided on-site
training for student workers from a community college construction program.
Restoration work was done in accordance with the U.S. Secretary of the
Interior’s Standards in order to gain a state-administered property tax
freeze for the new buyer. The property is now ready for sale and the work
has prompted surrounding property owners to take on their own home
improvement projects.
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