A community leader in Cairo says work is underway to save the historic Connell Smith Senior Building, which recently showed up on the Landmarks Illinois 2023 Most Endangered Historic Places in the state.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to tear down the 55-year-old structure. It would be the fifth public housing complex in Cairo closed in recent years by HUD.
Steven Tarver, chair of the Alexander County Residential Advisory Council, appeared on the 21st Show.
"It's an eight-story building with 61 units. Recently we were told that because of the earthquake theory, I call it, with our building sitting on a fault line that it was unsafe for residents to be in. So, they had started a relocation process."
Tarver says that theory doesn't make sense to him.
"We haven't had an earthquake in who knows when in our area. The majority of the housing buildings that are located in the southern Illinois region lie on the same fault line that they're saying Cairo is being affected by."
Tarver says this is a major problem because of Cairo's housing shortage.
"We have several empty lots that we're trying to collaborate with HUD and local developers to try to get some housing done. The majority of our residents had to be moved either to Jackson County and other areas."
Tarver says forcing residents to move at least an hour away from home is a hardship most of them want to avoid since 85 percent of residents indicated they wanted to stay in Cairo.
HUD assumed control of the Alexander County Housing Authority in February 2016, citing years of mismanagement.
