Big A Auto - Request to Alter the Broadway Street Neighborhood Conservation District Boundary Copyrighted
April 20, 2026
City of Dubuque ACTION ITEMS # 2.
City Council
ITEM TITLE: Big A Auto - Request to Alter the Broadway Street
Neighborhood Conservation District Boundary
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council consider the
request from Dan Reavis of Big A Auto to remove 2327
Central Avenue (Former Fagans Shoe Repair and Hobby
Building) and 2311 Central (Big A Auto Building) from the
Broadway Street Conservation District at their May 4, 2026,
meeting. This will allow staff time to compile background
information on the request for City Council consideration.
SUGGUESTED Receive and File; Refer to City Manager, Place on May 4,
DISPOSITION: 2026, Agenda
ATTACHMENTS:
1. MVM Memo Big A Auto - Request to Alter Broadway Street Neighborhood
Conservation District Boundary
2. Staff Memo
3. Big A Auto Letter
4. 2311 Central Avenue Photo
5. 2327 Central Avenue Photo
6. Broadway Street District
Page 742 of 901
Dubuque
THE CITY OF �
uhA�eMa cin
DuB E ; . � ,
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Maste iece on the Mississi t 2oo�•zoiz•zois
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Big A Auto - Request to Alter Broadway Street Neighborhood
Conservation District Boundary
DATE: April 14, 2026
Planning Services Director Wally Wernimont is recommending City Council consider the
request from Dan Reavis of Big A Auto to remove 2327 Central Avenue (Former
Fagans Shoe Repair and Hobby Building) and 2311 Central (Big A Auto Building) from
the Broadway Street Conservation District at their May 4, 2026, meeting. This will allow
staff time to compile background information on the request for City Council
consideration.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
v
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Wally Wernimont, Planning Services Director
Page 743 of 901
Dubuque
THE CITY OF �
All•A�eriea Ciry
DuB E .�r,�� :,k�,.�.�
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Maste iece on the Mississi 1 Zoo��zoiz�zois
YP PP zoi�*zoi9
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Wally Wernimont, Planning Services Director �
DATE: April 13, 2026
RE: Big A Auto - Request to Alter Broadway Street Neighborhood
Conservation District Boundary
INTRODUCTION
On Monday April 13, 2026, the City Clerk received a written request from Dan Reavis of
Big A Auto to remove 2327 Central Avenue (Former Fagans Shoe Repair and Hobby
Building) and 2311 Central (Big A Auto Building) from the Broadway Street
Conservation District (see attached letter from Dan Reavis - Big A Auto).
BACKGROUND
On April 18, 2024, the Historic Preservation Commission reviewed and approved a
demolition permit to remove rear additions for the building located at 2311 Central
Avenue noting that the removal would not detract from the historic front portion of the
structure. At the meeting, the HPC noted that the original building would remain
after removal of the rear addition is clearly historic.
On April 6, 2026, Mr. Reavis reached out to the Planning Services Department staff
about the option to remove the remaining building at 2327 Central and include the Big A
Auto Building located at 2311 Central Avenue. Staff noted that Mr. Reavis has two
options:
Option #1
Request a Certificate of Economic Non-Viability in order to obtain permission to
demolish the full structure. This requires an application and fee to be submitted along
with supporting documentation to the Historic Preservation Commission so they can
determine whether the property yields or may yield a reasonable economic return to the
property owner(s).
Note: A reasonable economic return is defined as the cost to rehabilitate the
building to the point at which a reasonable use or a reasonable profit can be realized
from the property. This may mean bringing a building up to code to the point at which it
can be occupied, not necessarily to its "highest and best use", preferred use or a
restoration project.
Page 744 of 901
Option #2
Write a letter to the City Council and submit it to the City Clerk requesting an alteration
of a conservation district not including 2327 & 2311 Central Avenue. That process is
outlined in our Unified Development Code below, in Chapter 16-10-8 Conservation
Districts, Section B.
DISCUSSION
The process to alter a conservation district resides in City Code Title 16 Unified
Development Code - Chapter 10 Historic Preservation Commission Applications and
Procedures - Section 8 Conservation District.
Process for Establishment, Expansion or Alteration of Conservation District:
Any person may request that the city council establish, expand or alter a conservation
district. The process for establishment, expansion or alteration of a conservation district
is as follows:
1. A written request for the establishment, expansion or alteration of a conservation
district must be submitted to the city clerk. At its next regular meeting following receipt
of the request by the city clerk, the city council may:
a. Approve or deny the request;
b. Set the request for consideration at a subsequent meeting;
c. Set the request for a public hearing; or
d. Refer the request to the Historic Preservation Commission for a recommendation.
2. At its next regular meeting, if a referral is made to it by the city council, the Historic
Preservation Commission will review the request, and make a recommendation to the
city council to:
a. approve or deny the request, or
b. to table the request for additional information for a specified period not to exceed
sixty (60) days.
Failure of the commission to act on the request within the sixty (60) day period, unless
the applicant requests and the commission grants an extension of such time, constitutes
commission approval thereof. The recommendation of the commission will be
transmitted to the city clerk. The city clerk will promptly transmit the recommendation
and the application to the city council for its consideration. In determining whether to
recommend approval or denial of the request, the commission will consider whether the
proposed conservation district, or the expansion or alteration of the district, has historic
or architectural significance to the community.
3. At its next regular meeting following receipt of the recommendation of the
commission by the city clerk, the city council will approve or deny the request or refer
the nomination back to the commission for modification.
2
Page 745 of 901
REQUESTED ACTION
In accordance with City Code Title 16, Chapter 10, Section 8 (Conservation District), at
its next regular meeting following receipt of the request, the City Council may take one
of the following actions:
a. Approve or deny the request to alter the conservation district;
b. Set the request for consideration at a subsequent meeting;
c. Set the request for a public hearing; or
d. Refer the request to the Historic Preservation Commission for review and
recommendation.
RECOMMENDATION
Planning Services staff recommend that the City Council consider the request at their
May 4, 2026 meeting. This will allow staff time to compile background information on the
request for City Council consideration.
3
Page 746 of 901
i
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Permission from City Council requesting the a{teration of a canservation district to nat �
I
incEude the 2327&2311 Central Avenua (
Subject:Ta Remove Structures af 2391 and 2327 Central Ave Fram the Conservation District i
j Executive su►nrnary �
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� 1 am req��estin�approval to remove the 232�'central Ave building and Big A Auta building
� from the conservation district,the�327 building which is severely dilapidated,partiaUy
' historically significant building an my property,it may have bee�z historic at one time t�ut
. aver the years and previaus owners neglect and changes ta the property nn long�r fooks i
til<e the historic builcJing it was once a long time ago and is in serious decay.
� Justification fo��partial demoliti�n of the back half has already been approved by the
cornmission;5afety&fiabiiity:7he existing structure is in advanced decay,presenting
structural and public-safety hazards.partial remavaE has reduc�d risk Fiut leaving the �
remainder creat�s ongoing safety expasure. �
� - Historic mitigation:While the building h�s some historic value, its current condition limits !
adaptive reuse and to badiy aEtered by previous dwners and na longer presents itseif as
� �
"h1457dRIC"Therefore requesting the city councif ta aliaw properties be remaved from the
canscrvation district, �
Sincereiy,
,".1
Dan Re�vis ��� __,
Owner,Big A `_._.'` � �-°��-�
ti. ,- -.-. ;''�� ,
2319 Central Ave, Dubuque � . - ;^„�, ;f��
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' 563-599-57�2� �an@8igaautodbq.com .- �--.•' r-i.�
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Page 747 of 901
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