After falling into disrepair, the former fire station at 601 North Grand Ave. is getting a facelift. Don Cave, who purchased the property in October, has already redone the façade and says he plans to continue working on the building in the spring.
“I didn’t want to see it torn down, it’s a neat old building,” said Cave, who said he had been keeping an eye on the property while it was on the market over the last couple of years.
The building was briefly used as a resale store, but has been largely vacant since the owner of Tomahawk Awards, Barbara Chesser, retired in 2015 and sold the business.
Cave said he already has the second floor rented out. “The upstairs is beautiful, the owner of Tomahawk lived up there.” He’s currently using the lower level as storage space for his auction business, Cave Auction Services, but says he will advertise it for lease once he completes additional renovations.
Cave, who was previously the managing broker for Coldwell Banker Springfield, moved to Florida last year but said he kept his Illinois real estate and auction licenses.
“Five of my seven children live in Illinois still and I have rental property there, so I go back and forth,” he said. “I was born and raised in Sangamon County. I spent 50 years there, so it’s hard to leave completely.”
