WGLT is reporting the sale fell through so State Farm is going to demolish the building.
By: Diane Benjamin
According to this story from May, the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors were pre-leased: https://blnnews.com/2019/05/22/state-farm-bldg-3-floors-leased/
Guth and Associates of Champaign no longer shows this listing on their website. In early March, when the pending sale was announced, articles stated they had 90 days before close. It should have been final by at least June.
The County website doesn’t show a sale on either the Assessor or Recorder’s websites.
This website states 112 E Washington is not on the market for either sale or lease: https://www.officespace.com/il/bloomington/203898-112-e-washington-st
The City of Bloomington has the entire building listed as for sale on their website, now listed with a Chicago firm: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/112-E-Washington-St-Bloomington-IL/12698730/
Bloomington has NUMEROUS properties in downtown listed: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21658
The Bloomington Normal Economic Development Council (EDC) shows the entire building available: https://www.bnbiz.org/locate/buildings-sites/
Since I’m not looped into anyone at Corporate, I can’t ask State Farm what the status of this build is. Maybe they will issue a press release and let us know.
Confusing.
Status: EMPTY.
I don’t see ANYTHING happening with this building. Although it was probably solidly built, even though in “sections” but WHO wants an old building in a downtown, where just 3 blocks away in a COUPLE directions are empty eyesores? It’s NOT downtown Manhattan!
But, but, but….we have public transportation! And we are a wecoming (to criminals) community. And Crazy Jenn is on the Council! And if you are the “Right Fit”, Tari will shower you with taxpayer money!!
LMAO! It’s just so insane, you have to laugh and they find themselves so smart, so important and unfortunately we are lorded over by these clueless people. It’s just mind boggling – THIS is what extremely low voter turnout produces, Tarrys, and Jenns, and Scotts Oh MY! wow, just wow. On a different note, does anyone besides me notice the proliferation of “soy boys” all over the Downtown area as of late? The only MEN I see are usually going into or coming out of Elroy’s or Maguires and now and then Pablano Burrito.
New York City has many downtown vacancies and San Franciso is literally a 3rd world shithole, feces on the streets, needles, tent cities. That’s the democrat leadership for ya.
State Farm, I assume, maintains the building. A company that large, that wealthy, with buildings around our Country, should be able to find a use for Downtown State Farm. Why is there so much secrecy in so many of our local governments ?
Makes them feel superior, it isn’t government for and by the people.
SF doesn’t want to rent the building, especially not to, or with some deal involving, the City, that much I’ve heard. I’m sure they’d like to sell it tomorrow, but really who is going to buy the building? SF is unlikely to sell it at a discount to Tari and Co. (or anyone for that matter). They clearly have Bloomington City Hall over a barrel, and they know it. I suspect it’s a cheap bargaining chip to SF.
If I remember correctly (it may be noted elsewhere and I missed it). The so called buyer of this building had an opt out clause that had to be used before July 1. An optimist would say the building is sold and all is great (ha).
A realist would think opted out, no sale and the seller is seeking a new agent (Since assuming there was a buyer in the first place the agent was not able to rent out enough space to keep buyer in deal). I always felt there was no real renter/buyer as originally said. I feel it was a hope to get others to come in using the “herd” or Vegas “shill” mentality.
On a different note would like to point out that a few other times we have heard city government indicate something is sold or buyers are interested (coliseum comes to mind Tari) and local media (Pantygraph, radio and TV) jump right on that story. However you never see any follow up when this proves to not be the case, Local media noted this 7/1 opt out clause in their praise of the sale…..no mention of outcome anywhere. Tari said there were potential buyers for the coliseum, have seen no stories with local media asking where that stands. In journalism it is called follow up and finishing a story, something we never see with the local media. This should come as no surprise, remember where we first heard about Mitsubishi saying good-bye, it wasn’t the so called “local media”in the form of the Pantygraph, TV stations or radio.
SF still maintains it. They don’t have maintenance assigned at the building anymore, but the group from corporate is responsible for it. It’s still on the SF mail route, still some furniture in the building (I think mostly in the basement) and about a month ago they did some in house safety inspections per loss prevention. They also changed out some locks, not sure on what, about a month ago too.
I hear the Town of Normal has a huge budget for renting office space that they, by their own admission, don’t need – maybe they could rent a few floors?