Historic Route 66 properties up for sale
By Kim Smith
ksmith@stmedianetwork.com
Jan 25, 2011 08:18PM
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The Joliet Jackhammer statue stands at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. | File Photo
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WILMINGTON — Want to get your name in the history books?
Two hot spots along historic Route 66 have for sale signs on their buildings.
The recession may be only partly behind the reasons the owners have decided to sell these two buildings.
A giant, 28-foot tall fiberglass statue is included with the sale of the Launching Pad. This guy, known as the Gemini Giant, has captured the attention of visitors since the late 1960s.
“The history of this building is priceless,” said Nick DiBrizzi, the Oak Brook-based broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial, who is selling the business. “This business is a great investment for the right person.”
Local giants
Photos and stories of the Gemini Giant and the Launching Pad have appeared in numerous books, television and newspaper stories on Route 66.
The giant, at 810 E. Baltimore St. in Wilmington, is one of two such statues in the area. The other stands inside Silver Cross Field at One Mayor Art Schultz Drive in Joliet. Both were part of a series of “muffler men” that once dotted American roadways in the early 1960s.
Muffler men stood outside automotive shops. Most held oversized car mufflers in their two outstretched hands, according to numerous stories on historic byways.
The owners of the Launching Pad were looking for a gimmick to promote their business when they purchased the statue in the 1960s. At the time, the country was abuzz over the space program. The former Muffler Man was fitted with a helmet and a small rocket was placed in his hands He was named after the Gemini rockets that were leading the way in space exploration. Now the giant and the Launching Pad are icons for visitors in the area.
Morey Szczecin, of Channahon, purchased the business in 2007 when previous owners Jerry and Sharon Gatties decided to retire. The business dates back to 1960 when it was known as the Dari Delite. The owners were John and Bernice Korelc, who came up with the space theme in 1965 and made the changes that exist today.
Now, Szczecin wants to move on to other things.
“Some things inside could use some updating,” DiBrizzi said. “But it is still a great business. With the economy, more families are turning to sit-down, fast-food restaurants instead of fine dining.”
Right now, the business is closed for the winter. However, there are plans to reopen for business in the spring, DiBrizzi said.
The asking price is $650,000, he said.
Hotel history
Down the road on the busy corner of Baltimore and Water streets there is a “for sale” sign up in front of the historic Eagle Hotel. This building has been the subject of much controversy in recent years.
The phone number listed on the sign is answered by a message left by a Tom O’Brien, who did not return numerous calls from The Herald-News.
The Eagle building is Will County’s oldest commercial building, dating back to 1836. The building served as a boarding house with a storefront that was once home to a historical museum.
The Wilmington Area Historical Society owned the building in 1990 when it was gutted by a fire. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The historical society tried and failed to raise funds to restore the building. Most members were relieved when Ottawa developer Bill Scales came to the city with plans to develop an upscale restaurant and small hotel in the building more than nine years ago. His plans may have rescued the building, as some officials wanted to raze the building to widen the busy intersection.
Scales replaced the roof and some windows, but was not able to get the funding needed to do all the work to convert the old building.
When he failed to renovate the building in the five years he was allowed, he purchased the building for $45,000.
Changing times
Cathie Stevanich, president of the Route 66 Association of Illinois, said the Mother Road is no stranger to change.
The road dates back to 1926 and began as one of the nation’s first east-to-west arteries from Chicago to Los Angeles. In 1985, Route 66 was officially removed from the U.S. highway system as it had been replaced by interstate highways.
Yet, the road has managed to survive through good and bad times for more than eight decades.
In June, the Riviera Supper Club and Roadhouse in Gardner burned to the ground. It had been a staple along the landscape on Route 66 next to the Mazon River since 1928, boasting customers such as Al Capone. Its location made it a popular picnic and camping area. There was a gas station on the property and a petting zoo.
Only a pile of rubble remains on the property of this once popular stop.
“No one hates to lose the old places more than I do,” said Stevanich. “But as one place goes away, another comes along to take its place. That just might be part of why tourists keep coming back over and over.”
Stevanich believes what keeps Route 66 alive are the good people along the way and the fact that its appeal endures.
“One thing that we all must do is remember that all eight states are very much a part of the wonder adventure on Route 66,” Stevanich said. “Each state has something very special to offer all of us.”