Historic Elks Club owner asks Rockford for patience as he tries to sell, save the building

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The owner of the historic Elks Lodge No. 64 is asking City Council members to hold off on demolishing the property as he attempts to sell and save the 113-year-old building.

The plea from Mark McInnis of Argyll Properties comes as the city is seeking bids to demolish the building at 210 W. Jefferson St. after a yearslong legal fight to force repairs.

McInnis told City Council members on Monday that he has done everything he can to repair the building, and now he plans to put it up for auction in mid-September in hopes of finding a buyer who can step in and revive the property.

“I’m asking Rockford, please have some patience. Let this happen. Let’s save this building,” McInnis said during public comment at Monday’s meetings of City Council committees. “It’s a treasure. It’s beautiful, and it will be beautiful and grand. It’s our last gem that we have in this city. We don’t have any more historic gems like this.”

Related: Rockford seeks bids to demolish historic Elks Club. Is it too late to be saved? 

The city has said the building is unsafe due to years of neglect and it must demolish it as a last resort to protect public safety. Several advocates for historic preservation are pushing the city to explore ways to save the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and in the West Downtown Rockford Historic District.

There was no action item before City Council members about the club on Monday. Demolition bids are due to be opened Thursday. On Tuesday, the city’s Historic Preservation Commission plans to discuss the future of the property.

McInnis is a former member of that commission and a former resident of the historic Haight Village neighborhood. He also served as past president of the Haight Village neighborhood district.

He said he’s done all the safety remedies required by the court during the seven years since the city sued. However, he said the city has asked him to take on measures above and beyond what’s needed for public safety. He told the council that his historic building consultant instructed him not to proceed with some measures such as replacing the roof and doing tuck-pointing masonry repairs.

He told the council he’s hired architects and historic tax credit consultants, and he’s invested more than $150,000 into the property.

“I’ve come to the point where I can’t do it,” he said. “I’ve exhausted every avenue, and I can’t do it.”

The city sued McInnis and Argyll Properties in December 2018 to force repairs. Judge Donna Honzel then ordered the owner to fix or raze the property by Jan. 3, 2022. The city was given authorization to tear it down if McInnis didn’t comply.

That case is due back in court Aug. 28 for a status hearing on the demolition. It’s not clear yet when aldermen may be presented with the low bid for demolition to decide whether or not to go forward with razing the building.

McInnis said the building is due to be sold at auction Sept. 15-17, with the sale being awarded on the final day.

“I’ve saved several historic properties here in Rockford and I’m urging you all to help me save the Rockford Elks Club,” McInnis told the council.

The Elks Lodge was designed by Chicago architect Lawrence Buck, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright, and built in 1912. It stands out for its brick masonry, stained-glass windows, arched ceiling, second-floor ballroom and lower-level bowling alley.

The Elks Club operated there until the 1990s. It was previously donated to Goodwill Industries, which made some improvements before selling it to Argyll Properties in 2011 for $15,000, according to records from the Winnebago County Clerk & Recorder’s Office.

What’s next | key dates

• 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12: The city’s Historic Preservation Commission meets to discuss the future of the building. The meeting happens at City Hall, 425 E. State St., Rockford.
• Aug. 14: The city is due to open bids for demolition.
• Aug. 28: The court case is due back in court for a status hearing on demolition.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas