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Post by rocket on Oct 7, 2014 6:01:48 GMT -6
Streator Armory Closing The National Guard Armory in Streator will be closing in early 2015. The Illinois National Guard says the Army has been on a tight budget and the armory would cost the Army more money to keep it open. The armory is used for training once a month but it holds five staffers that work full-time. Officials say the soldiers that train in Streator will be transferred to Machesney Park. Officials say they have several options for the building once it is vacant, including selling the building to the city for its own use. am1250wspl.com/pages/9033767.php |
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Post by rocket on Oct 7, 2014 6:07:07 GMT -6
Guess people will have to go to walmart to walk their laps this winter.
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Post by roman on Oct 7, 2014 6:08:25 GMT -6
What a shame. A lot of memories there: auto shows, hobby shows, grade school and high school basketball, Golden Gloves, dances and proms.
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Post by cityslicker on Oct 7, 2014 6:44:18 GMT -6
The city misleaders are probably licking lips wanting to get this moneypit on their list of bad acquisitions. Add it to the building by the viaduct, the skating rink and now the
armory. The city could not afford a pool for everybody, but will by a moneypit, for a few walking fools.
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Post by dumdave on Oct 7, 2014 9:27:33 GMT -6
I practiced basketball there for a Church League team. The league was run by the YMCA waaaay back then. The Boy Scouts used it for activities. My bro was a scout and during an exercise, I was a victim who got bandaged up. He saved me! LOL
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Post by toshiko on Oct 7, 2014 10:10:19 GMT -6
My dad, took me to the Golden Gloves, there. We had some real good boxers, back in the day.
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Post by ~MnM~ on Oct 7, 2014 10:33:09 GMT -6
What a shame. I know armories everywhere used to be used for all kinds of civic events. I only remember the Hobby Show here and they said the rent was getting too high was one of the reasons it was hard to continue. I remember someone else looking for a place to host a local group wanting to do roller derby. It's really too bad the Armory was not available for some other activities. I wonder if this is just one of many. I know Pontiac has an Armory and many other towns about Streator's size. I knew that their plans were to close that down, long ago..just didn't know when it was going to take place. Such a shame after all of the money that went into the renovations of that building, then after no one could really utilize it because of. They made renting that building so far out of reach with the cost to do so..is why the Streator Hobby Council had to disband, and discontinue the Hobby Show. I remember one, of if not the last show that we put on there the Sargent was out running drills with her guys in the lot to the west side of the building. I opened up all the doors on that side and had Randy Schmidt literally drive in his prized pink Cadillac ........ clear across the floor to be on display. LOL.............you should have seen her face!!! That floor in that building I swear they treated like it was God. We always has to be so careful as to not let any scratches, or any kind of damage happen to that floor. We carried a million dollar insurance policy during the week of the show, and thank God we never ever had any damage or accidents of any kind that we'd have to claim. I was told by one of the guardsmen that they wanted to move this local unit to Marseilles permanently. Perhaps they want to be closer to proximity with that FEMA ? camp ?? Things that make me go...........hmmmmmmmm................. M  |
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Post by roman on Oct 7, 2014 10:54:22 GMT -6
My dad, took me to the Golden Gloves, there. We had some real good boxers, back in the day. Several years ago, I saw in the paper that John Botcha had died. When I was a kid, he was great. Like the John Wayne character in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," nobody seems to remember him. Later, a friend of mine, Bill Ryan was a good fighter. One of my cousins was the heavyweight champ one year. |
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Post by dragonfly on Oct 7, 2014 11:09:02 GMT -6
This would be a great place for the Streator historical society to relocate to. Doesn't it have a stage also?
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Post by ~MnM~ on Oct 7, 2014 11:09:36 GMT -6
Tony Cutright also from Streator was a Golden Glove too. He was also our seventh grade teacher at St. Anthony's School back in the '70's. Needless to say we all thought that was toooooooo cool, and the boys were just a little intimidated by him because of that fact..............lol. M  |
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Post by oldtimer on Oct 7, 2014 11:17:03 GMT -6
What are the options if the city passes because of the costs? Is there an not for profit organization that could buy it on the cheap and use it? Too big of a building for a private business?
Will the government pay to have it torn down and then give the land to the city to expand Mariner Park? Another old building with no use that is just sitting there and boarded up isn't a good idea. The city could expand the park with people allowed access to the river to fish, etc.
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Post by roman on Oct 7, 2014 11:17:32 GMT -6
I never thought that the floor would recover from the two big floods: 1952 and 1958.
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Post by ~MnM~ on Oct 7, 2014 11:21:04 GMT -6
This would be a great place for the Streator historical society to relocate to. Doesn't it have a stage also? In theory yes, but in reality...no..they couldn't afford that building. That building is alot bigger then you think. The basement, which few people do know about was once quite an arsenal of weapons!! Heck they are really out of room at their current location. I went to see Pat at the museum, and wanted to give them Williams Hardware's dray wagon, and a coal car out of one of the mines. She told me that she wished they did have the room...but unfortunately can't take them because of lack of. I really don't foresee anything or anyone who would even want that huge building, let alone afford it. Such a shame though............... M  |
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Post by toshiko on Oct 7, 2014 15:36:16 GMT -6
My dad, took me to the Golden Gloves, there. We had some real good boxers, back in the day. Several years ago, I saw in the paper that John Botcha had died. When I was a kid, he was great. Like the John Wayne character in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," nobody seems to remember him. Later, a friend of mine, Bill Ryan was a good fighter. One of my cousins was the heavyweight champ one year. I think there was a Reno Pence and Bob Wade. So many more, I can't remember. Went to HS, w/ a boxer, and can't think of his name. |
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Post by oldtimer on Oct 7, 2014 15:43:11 GMT -6
This would be a great place for the Streator historical society to relocate to. Doesn't it have a stage also? Way too much money for historical society to just pay utilities. |
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