FULTON, Ill. — A Fulton couple are working to possibly rebuild a downtown building destroyed in a fatal November fire.

The property’s owners, Bill and Pam Blecha, said they are preceding cautiously, but want to be able to rebuild in that lot in the 1000 block of Fourth Street in Fulton. This building and the former bakery building that they own, which now houses Curves, were their retirement plan. The couple ultimately took a loss on the building after the fire. While the building was insured, Bill said it was primarily insured for liability. He said the building had stood all 120 years and he did not expect it to come down like it did.

Pam and Bill both agreed they never expected the fire that started around 7 p.m. Nov. 23. The couple were not in town, but were on their way to New York for Thanksgiving when they learned of the fire which cost Charlene Sipe, 41, her life. They immediately returned to Fulton and arrived around 4 a.m. the next morning. Bill said the firefighters did an excellent job keeping the fire under control. He said the fire could have easily taken out the whole block if not for their hard work.

Bill said since the building was only insured for a portion of the loss, they actually came out in the red. The insurance settlement also did not include the cost of debris removal. This cost was very expensive due to the quantity of the debris and contaminants in the debris.

Bill said they want to rebuild in the lot, but they feel they need to be cautious. They are currently exploring how they could replace the building and still derive a reasonable income from that building to pay off the construction costs. He said they do not have expendable resources so anything they do would need to have the potential for a quick financial return. He said before going to a bank to discuss financing, he would like to get some commitments from people who may be interested in the retail and residential spaces.

Despite being concerned with the current economical uncertainty and the potential financial risks, Bill and Pam said they want to work on a way to be able to rebuild. The couple, originally from New York, bought their home in Fulton 6 1⁄2 years ago and lived in the community full time for three. Pam said they felt Fulton was a special place. Bill said they were impressed with the energy of the town and thought it was a “pleasant, well-maintained, upbeat community.”

“We’re part of this community. We plan on living here for the rest of our lives. We don’t want to see just an empty space in that area,” said Bill.

Bill and Pam feel very strongly about downtown development. They said they had liked how the downtown was shaping up. Bill said it is very sad to go past the block and see that empty lot.

The city has been working on improving the streetscape of the downtown area. Bill and Pam said they would want to ensure that any building they do put up would work with the streetscape. Bill said he has been working with the city on possible building designs.

After working with an architect, the couple have some preliminary designs for a mixed-use building that will not overwhelm the rest of the streetscape. Instead of one large building, Bill said they have planned the front of the building to have a more broken up feel to it so it is more aesthetically pleasing. The building will have three floors, with commercial spaces on the first floor and residential spaces upstairs.

The bottom floor will contain three commercial spaces. Two retail spaces will be located in the front of the building with separate doors. In the back of the building, a large space is designed for the creation of a bistro.

Part of the previous building’s foundation has been kept for the possible creation of an outdoor patio for the bistro.

Bill and Pam both felt a bistro would be a great thing for the community. He said it would serve as a great community meeting place. A main entrance into the bottom floor is planned off of 10th Avenue.

The other two floors will offer a total of eight residential living spaces. They will offer a variety a pay rates and styles. On each floor, there will be a southeast, one-bedroom apartment.

The northeast apartment will be an efficiency-type apartment for one person. The northwest apartment will be handicap accessible, with a separate bedroom. The final apartment on the southwest side of the building will be one-bedroom with a balcony.

As part of these plans, Bill said they are very concerned about safety. He said they have always worked to improve safety in their buildings. The design accommodates fire-resistant materials, sprinklers, an early warning system and fire alarms. An elevator will also be added to improve accessibility.

Now that they have the preliminary plans, Bill said they have invited contractors to give them some sort of estimate on the building. He said they may have to change aspects of the design to reduce the cost as they continue through the process.

“In order for this to become a reality, it has to be feasible,” said Bill.