The eventual resolution to the former Kankakee Salvation Army Thrift Store will most certainly be far from thrifty for its soon-to-be-new owner.

The Kankakee City Council agreed to purchase the property for a bargain-basement cost of $813.

However, it will more than likely cost Kankakee taxpayers some $75,000 to $100,000 to eventually demolish this long-delapadated property in the city’s downtown.

If all goes as envisioned, the city could be having the property demolished, hauled away and the site cleared by mid summer.

Finding a buyer was described as a “long shot at best,” by Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis.

During Monday’s council meeting, a resolution approving the three-story property’s purchase by the city through through a Kankakee County tax sale.

The $813 price is the standard cost for a tax sale property.

Located at 591-599 E. Court St., immediately east of the Salvation Army’s downtown headquarters, the building has long been a city blight.

If no buyer comes forward in short order, the building could be wiped from the city’s landscape as soon as July 4, Curtis said.

While Curtis still holds out hope a potential buyer can be found within the next 45-60 days, the likelihood would be considered slim at best.

Curtis and city corporate counsel Dawn Landwehr said eight prospective buyers looked at the property. One had an extensive tour and a project manager on site, but determined the rehab cost would have far exceeded any costs allowing development to be affordable.

Curtis said the roof repair alone – the structure roof is mainly gone – would cost upwards of $100,000 to $150,000. He estimated the overall cost to stabilize the property would likely be $450,000.

The property has become such a safety concern for the administration it placed a chain-link fence around the site to keep everyone away.

What the site could become once cleared has not been determined. Curtis said it could simply be green space.

If a developer were to purchase the site, Kankakee would place a strict timeline on at least weatherproofing the property with a roof and covering windows and doors.

The site has been vacant for at least 10 years. There can be also no argument that this out-of-shape property does not present a welcoming image near the downtown core.

The property has ben up for sale since September 2025.