Geneva’s historic Fargo buildings to get nearly $200K in ARPA funds

The Geneva City Council approved nearly $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds in three economic incentive agreements with the owner of historic Fargo West State Street buildings.

The properties involved are 214-218 W. State St.; 220-222 W. State St.; and 306-318 W. State St.

The Charles F. Sansone Revocable Trust owns them all.

Sansone, the great-grandson of Henry Bond Fargo, lives in Tampa, Fla., and did not respond to voicemails or an email seeking comment.

The F in Charles F. Sansone stands for Fargo, records show.

Henry Bond Fargo, who died in 1932, had been a mayor of Geneva, a state representative and real estate broker. He was instrumental in the development of not only Geneva, but also Sycamore and DeKalb.

Henry Bond Fargo built 214-218 and 220-222 W. State St. in 1915. He built 306-318 W. State St. in 1925. The buildings have remained in the family ever since, according to the economic incentive agreements.

ARPA funds, set aside for historic preservation and adaptive reuse, must be designated before Dec. 31, 2024 or the city has to return the money to the U.S. Treasury, officials said.

The agreements with Sansone were among several the City Council recently approved.

The Sansone building projects are expected to create or retain jobs, enhance the tax base, strengthen the commercial district and further the development of adjacent areas, according to the agreement.

The total for Sansone’s three buildings is $197,441.

Details according to the economic development agreements:

$35,424 for 214-218 W. State St. for restoration of the original brick and stone façade and installation of a fire alarm. Town & Country Gardens and City Barber Shop occupy the first floor retail spaces. The second floor has apartments that have been vacant for decades.

Other improvements include repair or replacement of second floor windows, replacement of street-level door leading to second floor, replacement of exterior wood staircase and front staircase repairs.

The cost of the improvements, including the building’s mechanical systems, is estimated at more than $200,000, documents show.

• $60,808 for 220-222 W. State St. for the removal of the structural awning, restoration of the original brick and stone façade and installation of a fire alarm. Three tenants have occupied the property in the past 100-plus years. The most recent tenant, Good Cents Children, a resale shop, closed in 2018 after 28 years and remains vacant.

Necessary improvements include major upgrades of all mechanical systems (electrical, plumbing and HVAC), remediation of lead paint and asbestos from floor tiles.

The cost for all the improvements is estimated at more than $475,000.

• $101,209 for 306-318 W. State St. for restoration of the original brick and façade and installation of a fire alarm.

The six first-floor retail spaces house varius tenants, including Stockholm’s, Bee Coco Candle, The Gift Box, DS Studio, Kernel’s Popcorn Shop and Galena Garlic Company.

The second floor office space is 33% occupied, records show.

To make the second floor more competitive for rentals would require major interior remodeling including upgraded restrooms, all interior finishes; mechanical/electrical improvements, and plumbing and HVAC upgrades.

Additional improvements include tuckpointing and façade work, repair or replacement of windows, replacement of exterior wood staircase, roof replacement, a fire alarm and mechanical systems are estimated to cost $321,872.

The buildouts for unused areas and mechanical systems are estimated at more than $240,000, not including electric service upgrades.