Residents urge historic-standard compliance as Decatur City council accepts PRM structural review for Old State Bank

The Decatur City Council voted 3–0 to accept a proposal from PRM Structural Engineers to assess structural repairs at the Old State Bank, while residents told the council any work must meet federal historic-rehabilitation standards to preserve grant eligibility and the building’s public use.

Resident John Allison urged the council to require that ‘‘the Secretary of Interior's rehab standards for rehabilitation are being followed because that's tied to the grant money,’’ saying the building was dedicated to public museum use when the city acquired it in 1974. Resident Trudy Gisham said the project ‘‘has been kicked down the road a while’’ and called for a renewed commitment from the council and help pursuing grants and local support.

City staff described PRM’s proposal as a structural-engineering review and said they are coordinating with the firm to ensure any recommendations meet the historic-preservation requirements attached to the grant. Alan (city staff) told the council, ‘‘If we get to the point where we understand that they maybe don't meet those guidelines, then we would not execute that proposal.’’

The council’s approval authorizes the review work to proceed to the point of producing recommendations; it does not obligate the city to perform repairs or to adopt a final rehabilitation plan. Council members and staff said they will seek confirmation from PRM that recommended repairs will comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation before executing a contract for construction work.

The resolution accepting PRM’s proposal passed unanimously. Staff will return to council with any materials that show whether PRM’s recommendations meet the required preservation standards.