The old courthouse - what's the real deal?

Have you been trying to figure out what's really going on in the deal for the old courthouse building, located on the Woodstock (Ill.) Square?

It's a nice old building, and it could have been a terrific dining experience in the past to sit in one of the old jail cells to be served your bread and water. Service was never really that great, but then the video machines were put in. Anything for a buck; right? Well, that was then. And this is now.

The Courthouse Grille tried to make a go of it, but they got hammered at least twice - once when the City twisted the owner's arm over a $5,000 utility bill that was for a period before she took over the restaurant (I think the deal was, "You pay this bill or you don't get a liquor license") and, secondly, when she found that she owed another $200,000 for a previously-undisclosed lien on kitchen equipment.

The Courthouse Grille closed and the restaurant portion of the old building sat empty, even though the sign remained out front. Leaving the sign up was probably an attempt to make the restaurant appear to be "closed" at the time, not out of business.

Woodstock residents (voters) and property owners (taxpayers) are due a full disclosure on the transaction for this building. And in terms that can be understood.

For example, what is the real, total cost to the City (so far) on this deal?

Purchase price just prior to the sheriff's sale "on the (new) courthouse steps"? Or are such auctions held inside now? At the County's Government Center or actually on the steps of the property being sold?

Appraisals, inspections?
Legal fees?
Staff time?
Property taxes owed to McHenry County to the date of sale?
Estimated legal fees to seek abatement of (how much in) taxes? (Will legal fees exceed ultimate tax savings?)
Assumption (forgiveness) of any amounts owed to the City of Woodstock? How much?
Settlement of mechanics' liens on the building or contents?
Estimated legal fees to draft and negotiate new leases with the tenants? (When are the expiration dates of current leases?)
Preliminary estimates of repairs, maintenance, replacement of major systems in the building?

Because the City now owns this building, the public is entitled to all these answers.

Why don't the media report actual dates of such events as
1. the date that the Ganschows originally purchased the building
2. the date that Centralia Investors became the owner of the building
3. the date when the City of Woodstock began negotiations to acquire the building
4. the date when the City of Woodstock purchased the building (November ?, 2010)

The City hopes to find a buyer who will spend his money to fix everything that is broken in the old building. We all know that affects the offer on the building. What parts of the building are contaminated by mold, if any? What will remediation cost?

Is there anyone around with a deeper enough pocket to get the City off the hook soon?