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Pinky's building, Skateland up for sale

Posted May 02, 2016 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

One of the iconic buildings on the corner of the three-way stop in Chester is for sale.

The building at 1006 State St., which most recently housed Pinky's Sugarland, was approved to be advertised for sale during Monday's meeting of the Chester City Council.

City Attorney Jeff Kerkhover made it clear during the session that the sale is for the building only and not the land, which is also owned by the city.

If a sale is approved, the new owner would have to move the building off the property.

"The city has the right to reject any and all bids," Kerkhover said. "We have to pass an ordinance with approval from three-fourths of the aldermen to accept a sale."

Bids will be opened during the June 20 city council meeting and will be accepted until 4 p.m. that day.

Chester Mayor Tom Page indicated that Pinky's owner Dianna Mueller voluntarily left the building and had until April 30 to do so.

"It was offered for sale to me and I just didn't have the funds," Mueller said in a Tuesday interview with the Herald Tribune.

A new owner would also face a 90-day deadline to remove the building from the property.

Built in the late 1800s, the building has housed a doctor's office, dentist's office, beauty shop, barber shop, shoe shop, magic shop and Republican headquarters, among other uses, in its history.

"It was supposed to be and I think we had gone through step one and step two and there was some paperwork to do for step three," Mueller said on if the building was ever considered for the National Register of Historic Places. "It's just what I heard. When you're in a building like that, you hear a lot of different things.

"They had been working on it."

Pinky's Sugarland opened on the corner on November 21, 2011. The building is known as the only one in Chester that was historically preserved, but not restored.

"It was difficult being on the corner," Mueller said. "It's hard on Spinach Can and I hope they make it."

Mueller said that while the building is for sale, the business will continue on. The number to call for orders is 618-713-5098.

"I'm still taking orders," she said. "I'm going to be selling cake pops in a couple of other businesses in town."

Pinky's Sugarland can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/pinkyssugarland. In a post on the Facebook page, Mueller said she loved the building "more than anyone will ever know" and wished she "could park it in my backyard."

"It was, and still is, owned by the City of Chester," Mueller wrote. "I was only a temporary resident (sigh)."

Mueller also wished to thank her Pinky Girls: Jennifer Gonzalez, Roberta Harper, Beckie Mooneyhan, Donna Rausch, Dee Hohgrefe, and Amber Carnahan.

"Dee, with the help of Amber, pretty much held the shop together and kept it running through my surgery and long recovery during the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015," Mueller said. "But all my girls are very special to me."

And Pinky's building isn't the only one being listed for sale by the city, as Chester Skateland (160 Taggart Lane) was also approved by the council to be put on the block.

The difference in Skateland's case is both the building, which opened in 2002, and the property it sits on are for sale.

Last year, the City of Chester and City of Perryville signed a recreation agreement that traded resident rates at Skateland - plus a discount for library cards at Chester Public Library - for resident rates at the Perry Park Center.

The agreement, which was to expire on May 31 before being automatically extended on a month-to-month basis, was made to give Chester residents another option to go swimming in place of the closed Chester Municipal Pool.

In a follow-up interview on Tuesday, Page said the sale of Skateland would not affect the agreement with Perryville.

Page was asked what happens if the buildings don't sell.

"Don't know yet," he said. "I hope that's not the case."

In other news, Page announced that he has corresponded with Gov. Bruce Rauner's office about some help for the ongoing state utility payments issue.

"They have committed to us several thousand dollars this week," said Page, who told media after the meeting that the number is in the ballpark of $85,000. "We'll keep our fingers crossed and go from there."

Roundup

• The council approved a three-year electric rate agreement with Bailey Energy Group for municipal buildings. At a price of 0.04692 per kilowatt hour, it is cheaper than current provider Direct Energy.

"Electric rates have decreased considerably over what we have now," said Alderman Dan Ohlau. "There was a consensus to enter into a three-year contract with Bailey Energy."

• The mayor's appointments for 2016-17 were approved, with Page stating that they will remain the same as last year's.

• The council approved the Popeye Picnic Committee's request to submit a parade resolution to IDOT to close State Street for both the Popeye Picnic Parade and Popeye 5K Run/Walk.

• The council tabled an agenda item to discuss Tribout's rental agreement for inflatables for the Fall Festival.

"I want to have another discussion with the recreation director (Patti Carter) about this," Page said.

• The council ratified action of City Clerk Bethany Berner on transferring $200,000 to be set aside in the general fund for retirement and post-employment benefits.

• The council approved an ordinance, discussed at its previous meeting, to raise the price of gas meters by $2.15.

• Chester cleanup days are May 31, June 1 and June 2.

• A topic brought up Ben Picou during public comment involved excessive engine braking by tractor-trailers descending the hill on Bridge Bypass Road approaching the Chester Bridge.

It was stated that the noise was the worst between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and it's believed that non-local trucks are causing the problem.

Picou suggested additional signage being placed at the top of the hill.

• Chester Police Chief Ryan Coffey reported that his agency's C.O.P.S. program will have its end-of-the-year party at Cole Park on May 12 and the CPD is working with Buena Vista National Bank on a program on scams.

• Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert reported his department had 11 calls for service in April, with a total of 35 for the year thus far. The CFD will participate in auto extrication classes on May 14.

• Bert informed the council that his department had acquired a new rescue boat to replace the one it had. The 20-foot craft is a former Coast Guard boat that the CFD found in Owensboro, Ken.

"It's much more suitable for the (Mississippi) river and the smaller rivers around here," Bert said, adding that the boat is of no cost to the city.

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