Van Leer's Broadview Mansion
Normal
Van Leer’s Broadview Mansion is the recipient of the 2018 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Stewardship. Located at 11301 S. Fell Ave. in Normal, the project worked to protect the 1906 house, as well as its three-acre estate. When the estate’s owner, the Immanuel Bible Foundation, considered selling the property to a developer, the Town of Normal stepped in to collaborate with the Foundation in order to create a plan that would safeguard the Mansion’s future. The Town agreed to assist with maintenance expenses in exchange for the Foundation’s consent to designate the property a local landmark. The deal also gave the Town of Normal first right of refusal if the Foundation were to decide to sell the property in the future.
This agreement was successful in not only designating Van Leer’s Broadview Mansion a local landmark, thus preventing any future demolition or development, but also getting the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The mansion now provides programming for the community, including concerts and open houses. The active and preemptive measures taken by the Town of Normal, as well as the Immanuel Bible Foundation, to ensure the long-term protection of the Van Leer’s Broadview Mansion should serve as a model to other communities who wish to preserve their historic buildings and local landmarks.
Project Principals
Chris Koos, Mayor of Normal
Town of Normal
Immanuel Bible Foundation
(Photo Credit: Town of Normal)