Parking is tight, but Lofts on the Square residents fill historic Belleville building

Since the Lofts on the Square opened in a 91-year-old building in downtown Belleville last year, managers of the senior apartment complex have been able to lease every unit.

It’s been so popular, there is even a waiting list to get a spot in the historic, six-story brick structure that towers above the Public Square.

Its developers held a grand opening ceremony Wednesday — months after the first residents moved in — because two previous attempts scheduled for last September and then January were canceled because of high COVID-19 rates in the community.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 and is noteworthy for its Art Deco architectural style. It opened in the Great Depression as the Hotel Belleville in 1931 and then was the Meredith Memorial Home for retirees for about 40 years before it closed in 2010.

Lofts on the Square was developed by the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, or SWIDA, in Collinsville and St. Louis-based Bywater Development Group. They pulled together $14.2 million for the project, thanks in large part to affordable housing tax credits, historic tax credits and loans they received from governmental agencies.

During the multi-year process of planning, financing and renovating the building, the developers have said the project would not been possible without the tax credits, which are sold to investors who use them to reduce their tax liability.

Mike Lundy, the former treasurer for the city of Belleville and now executive director of the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, welcomed community leaders to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the “successful completion of this landmark project.”

“Lofts on the Square is fully leased and there is a waiting list,” he said.

“The unparalleled location provides residents with convenient access to local businesses and exciting leisure activities in the area surrounding the Public Square.”

The 47 apartments are on the second through sixth-floors of the building and give residents great views of the Veterans Memorial Fountain in the middle of the Public Square. They can walk to places like the Lincoln Theatre and numerous restaurants. Events like Art on the Square and Belleville’s annual Chilli Cook-off are right outside the door.

Parking complaints from residents

Lofts on the Square residents who spoke to the News-Democrat acknowledged the charm of the prime location of the building at 16 S. Illinois St. but they said the downtown site presents a challenge when it comes to finding a place to park.

The building has about 14 parking spots on site but residents said those are often filled.

“Parking is terrible,” said resident Robert Butcher. “I knew that when I moved in but I didn’t think it was this bad. People go to the courthouse, they see an opening over here in this parking lot, they’ll park. That’s happened several times.”

Another resident, Barbara Norton, agreed with Butcher about the limited parking options.

“Parking is very iffy,” Norton said. “It’s first come, first serve.”

Butcher and Norton also said they heard on Tuesday from the building manager that the city will be requiring people to pay for parking meters, which the residents had not been doing.

Police Chief Matt Eiskant said the police department seeks to find a common ground between downtown businesses and law offices who have customers and clients who need to park on city streets and residents who park on city streets.

Eiskant said the officers “never want to be heavy-handed” and will issue warnings before parking tickets are issued.

He also noted there are two lots where the Lofts on the Square residents can park for free.

To help residents with parking, Lundy said SWIDA has purchased a parking lot at the corner of South Jackson and East Lincoln streets. This lot was just repaved, but it is about a 3 ½ minute walk from the Lofts on the Square.

Residents also have access to 22 spaces in the city of Belleville employees’ parking lot at the corner of South First and West Harrison streets.

“It would be nice to have that lot across the street,” Norton said.

She was referring to a vacant parking lot across the street from the Lofts on the Square’s parking lot at the corner of Washington and Illinois streets.

Lundy said he has been unable to reach representatives of the corporation that bought that parking lot at 120 S. Illinois St. from the previous owner, the Belleville News-Democrat.

The corporation that owns the lot is called 120 S. Illinois St. LLC and is registered with the state of Missouri. The registered agent is Benjamin Evans in St. Louis. He could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Building renovation

The city bought the building from the Catholic Diocese of Belleville in 2010 for $487,500 but didn’t immediately get a deal with developers for the site. City leaders later had to spend more than $120,000 to fix the roof.

There was a possibility that the building would be torn down to make way for a park but those plans were scuttled in the wake of complaints.

Then in 2016, SWIDA and Bywater proposed to renovate the former Meredith Home. It took about five years before residents could move into the building. The developers paid $600,000 to buy the building from the city.

The building was full of walls with mold, peeling paint and other signs of deterioration when the renovation began in 2020.

Swansea-based Holland Construction Services was selected as the general contractor for the project that included “restoration of many of the building’s unique architectural characteristics,” according to a news release from the developers.

Norton, who moved into the building in September, said she was particularly impressed with the level of detail the construction crews followed in the restoration.

The developers are still seeking a tenant for over 3,000 square feet of commercial space available on the first floor for retail or a restaurant.

Jim Nations, who was chairman of the SWIDA board at the time the project was proposed, was praised by Lundy for his support of the plan. Nations died in 2020 and in his honor, Lundy presented Nation’s family a framed photo and a plaque commemorating his service.

For more information

To find about future availability in the Lofts on the Square, call Beacon Property Management at 618-825-9011. This firm began handling rental services on July 1.

Monthly rent for an efficiency is $550 while a one-bedroom unit is $615 and a two-bedroom is $750.

The apartments are for people who earn less than 60 percent of the area’s median income and are 55 and older.