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City gives Goodrich second deadline

Photo

Photo by Bill Olmsted

The owner of this former nursing home on S. Parker Dr. has been ordered to make progress with a remodeling project or face a raze or repair order from the City of Janesville. The owner is also in hot water over the destruction of architectural details on the historic Lovejoy mansion that sits nearby.

JANESVILLE — The city has given Brad Goodrich one week to clean up his construction site at the former Mercy Manor.

If he doesn't, the city will do the work and charge Goodrich, Gale Price of the community development department said Wednesday.

The Gazette was not able to reach Goodrich for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Goodrich received a conditional-use permit two years ago to build an assisted-living facility at 119 S. Parker Drive and began demolition. But work never progressed as Goodrich attempted to get financing through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Goodrich told city staff Wednesday that financing fell through.

Staff now has requested a timeline from Goodrich that would bring him back before the plan commission later this summer because his conditional-use permit has expired. Price hopes to see that timeline by July 3.

Goodrich also must schedule a meeting with the historical commission and explain his use of what some say are inappropriate materials on the historic Lovejoy house, a home he owns on the same block.

The city March 30 gave Goodrich a 30-day deadline to finance the nursing home project, resolve a $90,000 lien on the property filed by the architect and submit building plans for final review.

None of that happened.

But Goodrich told city staff Wednesday he has $1 million in private financing, enough to do the biggest part of the project that includes 31 units in the original nursing home. He would later connect the Mercy Manor to nearby Grace Hall.

Goodrich also told staff he also hopes to get city TIF money, Price said.

Goodrich must convince the plan commission that he can be trusted with another conditional-use permit, Price said.

"He's got to convince the plan commission that he still has the right project, that it's still viable, that he can pull this off. That's not my job to sell that.

"With regards to the (Mercy Manor) property, he needs to clean it up," Price said. "It's terrible. It's overgrown. It's a mess. It's unacceptable."

The weeds must be cut down, Price said. Goodrich must secure the building and remove the construction fence.

If Goodrich doesn't get a second conditional-use permit, "I don't know where he goes from there," Price said. "I guess we'll cross that bridge when he gets there.

The city could issue a raze-or-repair order or the building could remain vacant.

But the city doesn't want vacant building in the neighborhood, Price said.

"It's just unfortunate," he said. "We want to see a reuse of the building. But, unfortunately, (Goodrich) hasn't been able to bring all the elements together to move forward and make it happen.

"The neighbors are obviously frustrated, and rightly so.

"And so are we."