Casey City Council Takes Action on Blighted Properties, Rewards Redevelopment

Casey City Council Meeting | November 03, 2025

Article Summary
The Casey City Council approved resolutions to declare two residential properties dangerous and unsafe, initiating a process that could lead to their demolition. In a related but contrasting move, the council officially released its claim on a redeveloped property, rewarding the owner for constructing a new home on a formerly vacant lot.

Casey Dangerous Properties Key Points:

• The council declared properties at 704 E. Monroe and 219 S. Central as “dangerous and unsafe.”

• This action allows the city to issue notice to the owners to repair or demolish the dilapidated structures.

• The city released a “possibility of reverter” clause for 306 SE 1st Street, where owner Kimberlee K. Davidson built a new single-family home as agreed upon.

• Mayor Mike Nichols reported that 27 court actions related to property ordinances were processed last week.

CASEY, Il. – The Casey City Council took significant steps to address blight during its meeting on November 3, unanimously passing resolutions to condemn two dilapidated properties while also formally recognizing the successful redevelopment of another.

The council declared the properties at 704 E. Monroe and 219 S. Central “dangerous and unsafe,” a legal step that allows the city to compel the owners to address the hazardous conditions. According to city officials, the property at 219 S. Central is a large, two-story white house located just south of the Flats apartment building.

“The findings made in the prefatory portion of this Resolution are hereby adopted,” the official resolutions state, citing conditions such as dilapidated structures, collapsing roofs, and disrepair that make the properties uninhabitable and a hazard to the community.

Mayor Mike Nichols noted the city’s ongoing efforts to enforce property maintenance codes. “We had 27 actions of court last week,” Nichols said, thanking his department for their effort. “It’s making a difference and the citizens appreciate it. I do too.”

In contrast to the demolitions, the council approved Ordinance #592, which releases a “possibility of reverter” for the property at 306 SE 1st Street. The city had sold the lot to Kimberlee K. Davidson with the condition that a new home be built on it within a specific timeframe.

“The house is built, it’s done, so we can now release that reverter and it’s all her property,” Mayor Mike Nichols said. “It’s a job well done, taken care of… Hopefully, we have a few more of those coming not too distant future.”

The city also continues to clear lots it already owns, with Nichols reporting that two city-owned lots at 604 SW First Street were recently demoed and cleaned up.