NORMAL - The last major untouched building on the former Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's School campus finally might get a much-needed renovation. | More projects on ISSCS campus

Owner Nicholas Africano and the town of Normal are seeking proposals from private developers to renovate the former administration building at 1100 N. Beech St. Africano hopes the plan will help him turn the former infirmary building into an art studio.

"It's a big problem for this area," Africano said of the rundown administration building. "The town deserves for this to be resolved."

He also is concerned for the safety of nearby residents - those who call the former ISSCS Boys Row buildings home and residents who live across Beech Street. The administration building, vacant since 1979, has been the target of vandals for years.

Africano bought the administration building, the infirmary, the eight Boys Row buildings and the infants and toddlers' building in 1991. He only wanted the latter, but had to buy all 11 to get it. The sale came right before a bankruptcy hearing of the former owners, One Normal Plaza, which bought the properties in 1983.

ISSCS, which took care of thousands of orphans and wards of the state for more than 114 years, closed in 1979.

Africano found buyers for the Boys Row buildings and turned the infants and toddlers' building into a residence. But it's been cost-prohibitive to tackle the remaining two buildings.

"There are a lot of buildings we'd like to see rehabilitated but none more important than the two on Beech Street," said City Manager Mark Peterson. "People have tolerated them long enough."

To help, the town recently started the process to establish a tax increment financing district in the area. If a TIF district is established, as officials expect, some redevelopment money would be available for qualifying projects.

"TIF funds would help make the numbers work for the project," Peterson said.

Africano said he would be willing to give the administration building to a developer if the developer would do the mechanical work needed to also make the infirmary building habitable.

Associate town planner Lauren Sunkel said the ultimate hope for the administration building is a complete redevelopment of the interior while preserving the exterior.

"It's a prominent building and important to the history of ISSCS … but it's been 'severely' divided up," she said. "There are lots of challenges a developer has to face."

Ideally, the space would be converted to residences, she said. Africano hired Twin City architect Russel Francois to create two plans for the administration building: one turns the space into eight, three-story townhouses; the other razes two-thirds of the building and converts the rest and the infirmary to offices and an art studio.

"I'm prepared to consider any proposals for development that are consistent with the existing use of buildings here," Africano said. Most buildings in the immediate area are residential.

Proposals are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 9.