PEORIA – KDB Group, fronted by founder Kim Blickenstaff, was in the process of acquiring the Hale Memorial Church when it was sold out from under them during an online auction this week.
“Talk about tales of twists and turns and craziness,” said Greg Birkland, president and CEO of KDB Group.
KDB Group began negotiations with previous owner North Illinois Investments shortly after Kim Blickenstaff learned through a Journal Star article that the city had started a demolition case against the historic church. Northern Illinois Investments had agreed to give the property to KDB, said Birkland.
“I was in the process of getting appraisals done for him so he (North Illinois Investments) could write it off on his taxes,” said Birkland. I was getting commercial appraisers out there, and I was drawing up legal documents for it, and then we find out that it was being purchased through auction, and the guy never even told me he had it up for auction.”
The city of Peoria has started a demolition case on the property.
“We started the demolition case about a month ago because we noticed some of the façade is actually crumbling and cracking,” said Joe Dulin, assistant director of the Community Development Department for the city of Peoria. “We’ve tried to close off the sidewalk, and we are actually going back today to put some more caution tape up.”
The demolition process is not a quick one. The current property owners have been notified that they need to repair the building. If they don’t respond, the soonest the building could be demolished is October, Dulin said.