Dolton Mayor Jason House says the Village Board approval of tax increment financing district studies and historical designations for old buildings Monday is part of a larger initiative to benefit from increased tourism to the village.
The village’s Historic Preservation Commission has been developing plans since October for the village to capitalize on Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home at 212 E. 141st Place, House said.
As the commission waits on state and federal approvals for the home’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the Village Board voted Monday to designate Dolton’s former Village Hall and the police and fire stations on Park Avenue as historical landmarks and sites of special historical significance.
The old Village Hall “is very near and dear to many long-term residents” and is designated as a museum in the village code, House said.
“We adamantly desire to get funding to restore that, because there are many, many memories that residents have, the community has,” House said.
The building, constructed in 1874, served as a school until 1911, according to Dolton fire Chief Pete McCain.
“It closed down for four years because the rails were so loud,” McCain said Wednesday. “The kiddies couldn’t study.”
McCain said the building reopened as Dolton’s Village Hall in 1915 and operated as such for about a century, when structural issues led officials to move into the former bank building on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. House said the village continued to use the Park Avenue building for municipal court proceedings until a few years ago, when it was deemed no longer safe to do so.
Recognizing the historical significance of the old Village Hall, along with the adjacent police and fire stations, will allow staff to apply for grants and make improvements to all three buildings, the mayor said.
“As more people come and visit our community for the pope’s childhood home, that could be more of a historic and touristy district,” House said. “This is actually where Pope Leo spent his childhood
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. This is a community that is proud of our history.”House aims to identify funding, including from state and federal grants, to renovate the buildings within the next two years. He even hopes to, at some point, return village operations to the former municipal building.
“There are still some limitations to the current building that we are in, while we’re grateful for the space,” House said. “(The older building) has more space and is probably a little bit better set up for a Village Hall dynamic.”
McCain said the fire station 1 was built in 1952 while the police station was built in the 1970s.
“These are beautiful, old school buildings that need a little TLC,” McCain said.
Potential TIF
House is also hoping tax increment financing could lead to revitalization of a downtown area, drawing in more business revenue through development. The Village Board voted Monday to conduct studies of three potential areas for a TIF district, focusing on areas around Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cottage Grove Avenue and Sibley Boulevard.
In a TIF district, property tax revenues for all government bodies are frozen at creation, and the city uses any increase in property tax revenue — the increment — to pay for public improvements such as streets, sidewalks, water and sewer lines or to offer incentives to developers.
“We think that TIFs are an invaluable tool to look at economic development and attracting more businesses, and the right kinds of businesses, to come into our community,” House said.
He said the village is in talks with a handful of businesses that may be interested in coming to the village if a TIF is approved.
“I want to play shy at the moment, until I get a little bit further into the discussion to make sure that it’s viable,” House said.