“Some unfortunate things have been done in this building over the years and we’re going to dig into that ... so we’re going to get back to the essence of the building, get it cleaned out, take everything that’s been added over the last 100 years that shouldn’t be there and then build it back,” Anderson said.
The property is expected to change hands soon, City Manager Bryan Heck said.
“This is a building that we’ve been working for some time on to really reclaim and seek revitalization in our downtown,” Heck said.
The nine-story Fairbanks Building was constructed by the Fairbanks Building Co. and was first home to the American Trust and Savings Bank and the Fairbanks Theater and retail and office space. Although most tenants opened in 1907 and 1908, the official grand opening was held in October 1909. At the time, it was the tallest building in the city.
In 2015, it was sold to Robert Hull, who renamed the 72,000-square-foot building the Hull Plaza, in honor of his uncle, former Springfield attorney Anson E. Hull, who once had an office inside the building.
The building was closed in 2023 after notices from the Clark County Combined Health District found it no longer had running water or a working fire suppression system, among other violations.
Hull was found guilty in December of misdemeanor criminal charges of dangerous/unsanitary conditions and violating sanitary facilities required by the Springfield codified ordinances.
Anderson said the entire building will be restored, with anything found to be of historical value to be saved. There will be a new HVAC system, electrical, plumbing and more.
“We hope once we get to the bottom layer of however many layers of flooring are in that place, there’s marble, terrazzo and hardwood,” Anderson said. “That’s the plan, so maybe they did us a favor by putting seven layers of linoleum over it.”
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Redevelopers are looking at between 80-90 apartments on the upper floors, but Anderson said the narrow side of the building is “not nearly as big as it looks.”
Assistant Mayor Dave Estrop said he hopes this redevelopment creates a “spark” for more downtown businesses and more opportunities for the community.
AP Development and AP Construction primarily redevelop historic buildings throughout Indiana, and the company is branching out. Anderson said Springfield is the first location outside of Indiana, and the team looked at other historic buildings while downtown.
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