The town council of Normal, Ill., may declare the Sprague’s Super Service station on Route 66 a historic landmark at its next meeting, reported WJBC radio in Bloomington, Ill.
The recommendation from the planning commission will help Terri Ryburn, who purchased the former Sprague Super Service building with a long term plan: to restore the building to its original form. It will make her eligible for another town grant that can help pay for exterior work.
Ryburn said she’s already shelled out $90,000 of her own money and has received grants from the town, state, and National Park Service that total $87,000 combined. But she said that’s just a fraction of the project cost, estimated at $1.2 million.
Sprague’s Super Service has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2008, so its qualifications as a city historic landmark are apparent.
Ryburn plans to convert the station into a visitors center, coffee shop, bed-and-breakfast, and an entertainment venue.
Sprague’s Super Service has a Facebook page here.
UPDATE: The Bloomington Pantagraph has more details about the possible designation and what it might mean to Ryburn:
If the council approves it at its Aug. 15 meeting, Ryburn will be eligible to apply for a Bone Grant to help cover the cost of qualifying outside restoration work.
That town grant program provides funding for up to 50 percent of the cost of a qualifying exterior restoration or preservation project, with a maximum of $5,000 per project. Applicants can receive up to two grants per year.