Leu Civic Center to Close This Saturday After Structural Engineer’s Warning
Leu Civic Center Structural Integrity Building Photo
MASCOUTAH — The Leu Civic Center will close at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 7, following the release of a structural engineering report that identified significant safety concerns throughout the 1930s-era building, city officials said this week. This was initially discussed in closed session during the March 2 Mascoutah City Council meeting, before the document was made public.
According to Councilman Steve Beimfohr, the city will allow staff and volunteers temporary access to retrieve supplies as programs transition to temporary locations, including space offered at St. John Church. Efforts are also underway to relocate ongoing youth programs.
Beimfohr said he and Councilman Mike Voegle are working to secure alternative gym facilities for the center’s popular “Shoot the Rock” basketball program. The organization has moved its upcoming March 14 trivia night to the Mascoutah Sportsmen’s Club.
The councilman addressed public criticism about city communication surrounding the center’s condition. “People have accused the council of not being transparent, and while I disagree with that sentiment, going forward we would like to be as transparent as we can be,” he said, noting that he and Voegle have served as liaisons between the city and the civic center.
Civic Center Director Jenna Smith said the organization is still processing the news.
“We will be getting a second opinion,” she said. “For us, it’s a whirlwind of information, and we’re so appreciative of everyone willing to help us in the short term find places for our programs. We’re still figuring out long-term solutions. We have a board meeting Monday night to discuss what has transpired over the last 24 hours.”
The report, prepared for Cody Hawkins by Kreher Engineering, Inc., outlines widespread water infiltration, deteriorating masonry, rusting steel lintels, leaning parapet walls and failing pilasters supporting major structural elements.
Prepared by James C. Kreher on Feb. 28, the inspection notes that moisture has compromised brick, mortar joints and steel components, reducing the structure’s load-carrying capacity. Three of four north-side pilasters, which help support bowstring roof trusses and clear-span beams over the gym, show vertical cracking, raising concerns about their ability to safely bear weight.
The report also cites deteriorating floor-to-wall connections, interior cracking across all levels and evidence of settlement consistent with the building’s location above abandoned coal mines in St. Clair County.
“Current evidence has affected the structural capacity of the building,” the report states, recommending serious consideration of the building’s stability under wind or seismic loads.
City leaders said they are prioritizing safety while assisting the civic center in relocating programs as quickly as possible. The Leu Civic Center, long a cornerstone of community youth programming, will remain closed until further notice.
The complete document is readily available here: Mascoutah Civic Center Inspection Report 2026
Finally.
They defrauded me out of $200
There is a petition on change dot org about this. URL’s are not allowed on here, but you can easily look it up. It is titled PETITION FOR TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION IN MASCOUTAH, IL.
Ok, so it gets taken down and a new building is put up there. Give the cities track record of building maintenance, how long will a new one last?
Now skip to the schools, there toilets that do not work in one of them and it got a coat of lipstick instead of fixing the toilet.
Mascoutah has one of the most incestuous local governments that I have seen. Freddy power hungry officials will break whatever moral codes they need to get what they want.
You’re an idiot
The city intended to put it on the April ballot for the citizens to vote on the Lue’s destruction in order to build a new public safety facility where Fire, EMS and the PD can be colocated. Yet, research polling as showed that their measure would fail in a city vote due to the residents love for the Lue. Let the readers of this comment draw their own conclusions…
Now, speaking as an anti-terrorism specialist and a retired police officer: The city’s desire is the worst imaginable idea in the name of convenience. Never, ever and I’ll say it again – ever, consolidate all or any of your emergency resources into a single location for them to be taken out in a single, surprise incident. Mascoutah’s proximity to Scott AFB, a major command hub for the DOW, automatically places the city in an enemies crosshairs due to mutual aid agreements with the base. These resources should be strategically placed at three opposite ends of town.The Iran war is exhibit A.
I too was thinking we should NOT have our emergency resources consolidated into one single area. One has to think about issues which may arise concerning supportive resources to aid SAFB should soemthing ever happen.
It is well-documented that the mayor hates the civic center and the building and wants to bring a YMCA to Mascoutah. Unfortunately, since the building is owned by the city and not the civic center, there is zero recourse. The city manager simply has no interest in footing the bill to maintain this building since it generates no tax revenue for the city. When they raise taxes to cover the cost of tearing it down, remember that the building realistically had decades of life left in it if the city would have turned it over to an organization to maintain it for the good of the community. The city turns a blind eye to Bailco occupancy code violations to keep dilapidated houses occupied but pulls this nonsense when they want a building torn down.
While I was there the other day a brick nearly fell on my head! Tear the whole place down and keep our kids safe! God Bless!
Did you report it
No, it didn’t. You are a city hall plant.
Balogna, that building is rock solid. Has some problems but it will still be standing in 100 years, if they didn’t tear it down…
Here is a question for the council. They have told the community that the city had a safety check two years ago. They did nothing. Now another check and it is worst. It has not had any repairs done to it in years unless it has had flooding, broken heater, etc. Mascoutah has only past and current administration to blame. I can voice a lot of additional concerns but the city needs to answer “what are they going to do to help kids in the community without a facility to offer activities and no pool? What Community Policing Programs will they start to address the future problems?
Solid building. Been it in many times and always felt safe, was there within the past week, So the real question is how much were the “officials” paid for this travesty? I heard back in January the city Refused to turn the heat on for an event there. Let everyone in attendance freeze their asses off. In single digit temps, that was an inhumane way to treat the citizens you all need to keep your cushy positions.
Complete bull. The mayor and his buddy on the council have planned this for months and found every sneaky way in the book to get what they want. Every time a solution was presented, they shot it down. Last month’s city council meeting it was suggested the Leu organization buy the building freeing the city of any costs, now suddenly another report is pulled out of thin air saying the building is condemned? I smell a load of bull.
The report is dated Feb 28. And no mention of this report was made last night at the city council meeting.