Brownfield Boondoggle: Delayed Demolition, Distorted Promises, and a Mayor’s Desperate Distraction

FREEPORT, IL – July 24, 2025

A long-abandoned and toxic eyesore in downtown Freeport is finally slated for demolition—but not before years of delays, misleading timelines, and growing concern that the city’s leadership is more focused on public relations than public results.

The two contaminated buildings at 17 and 19 West Main Street, formerly home to a dry-cleaning business, were promised to be torn down in 2024. Instead, the City Council only approved a demolition contract on July 21, 2025—over a year after Freeport officials publicly declared that work was set to begin.

And now, questions are mounting about what’s really going on behind the scenes—and whether this long-overdue project is just a shiny political distraction from an administration out of ideas and running on fumes.

What They Promised in 2023

In a glowing interview with WIFR in May 2023, Freeport officials boasted that the city was the major recipient of a $7.3 million pool of federal Brownfield funds, landing $1.8 million to clean up the downtown site. The project was marketed as a shining example of Freeport’s “forward momentum.”

“Work will begin in 2024,” said Darin Stykel of Fehr Graham, the engineering firm that not only helped secure the grant but also designed the project.
“This is going to be environmentally conscious economic development,” added then-Communications Director Kevyn Sutter.

But those words—like many from Mayor Jodi Miller’s administration—proved hollow.

What Actually Happened

No demolition took place in 2024. No ground was broken. And by mid-2025, not even a contract had been awarded.

Only after a July 15, 2025 public bid opening—which saw two low bidders withdraw due to “critical errors” and misunderstanding of the project scope—did the city finally move forward. The winning bid from Fischer Excavating came in at $1,145,456, far higher than the withdrawn low bids of $284,150 and $360,000. And yet again, Fehr Graham was there to recommend the most expensive option after its own bid process failed.

This is not progress. This is a pattern.

Who Really Owned the Property? And Why Did the City Sit on It for Years?

According to Stephenson County tax records, Donald De Mong sold the property to Robert Schaal in 2009. Schaal paid taxes through 2013, after which the buildings sat idle under county trustee control—until the City of Freeport took possession in 2018.

So why did the city sit on a contaminated, collapsing property for 8 years without taking action? Why did Mayor Miller, who claims a track record of “proven results,” do nothing with the site until just months after securing her reelection?

If this project was urgent in 2023, why did it suddenly become a priority in July 2025—conveniently in the wake of growing public frustration over delayed infrastructure, rising taxes, and financial mismanagement?

Is This a Distraction Disguised as a Victory?

That’s what many Freeport residents are asking.

Why now? Is this a shiny ball thrown to the people of Freeport—something to celebrate while ignoring the deeper issues?

Did the Mayor really think the people wouldn’t notice?

This isn’t a new accomplishment. It’s not a fresh victory. It’s not a “proven result.”

It’s a distraction.

It’s something that should have been done last year—now repackaged and rebranded as a 2025 success story to hide the fact that Mayor Miller’s administration failed to deliver on its own timeline, and that Fehr Graham and Project Manager Darin Stykel once again remain financially entangled in yet another delayed city project.

Let’s be honest: for the past year, Mayor Miller has promised that she would bring in new grant funding to rebuild Freeport. But this isn’t new funding. It was awarded in 2023. The mayor didn’t deliver something new—she’s simply catching up on something her administration already failed to act on, hoping residents won’t notice the difference.

A Mayor Out of Time and a City Left Behind

Mayor Miller campaigned and won on the slogan “Proven Results.” But Freeport residents aren’t seeing results—they’re seeing:

  • Two terms of delay

  • Projects mired in cost overruns

  • Downtown stagnation

  • And a city government that keeps funneling money into the same firms with few real outcomes

This isn’t just about one demolition. It’s about a pattern of manipulation, where public money and federal grants are used not for public benefit—but to benefit those with the right contracts, connections, and political cover.

If this is what “results” look like, the people of Freeport might want a refund.

What Can Freeport Do Now?

If this is what Mayor Miller calls “Proven Results,” then it’s time for the people of Freeport to start demanding proven accountability.

The delays, the excuses, and the revolving door of contracts with the same politically connected firms must end. This isn’t about partisan politics—it’s about competence, transparency, and respect for the taxpayers footing the bill.

📣 Here’s what you can do:

  • Attend the next Freeport City Council meeting and demand answers about the delays and inflated costs.

  • Email or call your alderperson and ask why Fehr Graham continues to win city contracts despite repeated underperformance.

  • Share this article with your neighbors, friends, and family to help expose the truth behind the “Brownfield Boondoggle.”

  • Support local watchdog efforts like Fighting4Freeport that work to shine a light on mismanagement and corruption.

The people of Freeport deserve more than distractions.
They deserve results.
Real ones.

—Brought to you and paid for by Fighting4Freeport