Recent change orders for renovation of the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House have added nearly $700,000 and two months to the project. The City Council last week authorized Bulley & Andrews to do the additional work, for which the construction manager will pay about $82,700 from its contingency fund. The city’s general fund will lend […]
Three tenants are now under lease for the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House after the City Council last week approved an agreement with the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry. But unlike earlier lessees, the chamber will pay only $9.50 a square foot for offices and a visitor’s center on the first floor of […]
Declaring Public House restaurant “critical to the success” of the Old Courthouse renovation, Woodstock city officials have approved a $389,000 forgivable loan to help the business survive a five-month shutdown starting in October. After at least three recent closed-door meetings of the council as part of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the council last week voted 6-1 to […]
Bond issues totaling $19 million will help to finance two major projects in Woodstock’s immediate future – renovation of the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House, now underway, and the city’s enhanced street improvement program, in 2023. The City Council last week approved a $9 million bond issue for renovation of the historic buildings for new […]
Work should be visible soon at the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House as demolition work inside and out is begun. But the complex project is working on a flexible timetable. City Planner Darrell Moore said environmental work – including removal of asbestos from the 19th century buildings – could start in two weeks. And a […]
Just as COVID-19 has its variants, the cumulative effect of the virus had a varied impact on sectors of the local economy during the past year. Roaring along For those who live in the 60098 ZIP code, 2021 was a good year to be a real estate agent or a home seller. Through Dec. 21, […]
Completing renovation of the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House for civic and commercial tenants is now estimated to cost nearly $5 million more than was expected. According to a staff report prepared for the City Council meeting Tuesday night, construction manager Bulley & Andrews of Chicago has figured completion of the historic buildings will cost […]
Six years after its creation, Woodstock’s Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House Advisory Commission had its last meeting – and one final disagreement. The commission was created in October 2015 as officials envisioned future uses of the 19th century historic buildings, which the city had acquired in 2011. Nine members were appointed “to assess community needs, […]
Farm-to-table is one of the fastest growing food trends in the U.S., but what exactly does it mean? Having a farm-to-table dinner means the food you’re eating never finds itself in a grocery store. It goes straight from the farm to your table, skipping the middle man. And it’s more than a fad; it’s a […]
“Multiple” potential investors are interested in Woodstock’s plan to create new civic and commercial spaces in the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House, the City Council was told last week during a special meeting. About $2.4 million in historic tax credits proved to be an attraction to private developers who would work with the city to […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
