A generous bequest by the owners of a nearly century-old Edwardsville business will help breathe new life into a downtown building that is set to be transformed into the home of the Edwardsville Arts Center. Mayor Art Risavy and the Edwardsville City Council announced Tuesday, October 21, that the City has purchased the former Edwardsville Frozen Foods building at 246 N. Main Street with the support and financial backing of the Edwardsville Community Foundation.
“The opportunity to transform this wonderful downtown building, which is next to our historic Wildey Theatre and near a vibrant business mix, is going to be incredibly impactful for the City,” Mayor Art Risavy said. “This is a win that will be felt in downtown Edwardsville and beyond, and an exciting prospect for the Edwardsville Arts Center, which has been seeking a permanent site.”
The Edwardsville Community Foundation presented Mayor Risavy and the City Council a check for $525,000, a gift from the David Kriege Family, the last owner of Kriege Hardware, which served the City for nearly a century. The Edwardsville Community Foundation was entrusted with using the Kriege bequest to enhance quality of life through recreation, preservation and beautification in the City.
“The Edwardsville Community Foundation loves working with our community partners to help accomplish their goals,” said Foundation Chairman Rich Walker. “In 2025, we have awarded more than $2 million to municipalities and nonprofit organizations. And we’re still growing.”
The City is also partnering with Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau and the Illinois Office of Tourism to seek a Route 66 economic opportunity grant for the purchase. Route 66 traversed Edwardsville for decades, and the Wildey Theatre and Main Street businesses were popular stops for those traveling on the iconic road.
“We are excited for the opportunity to become part of Edwardsville’s historic downtown, joining the Wildey Theatre in expanding the city’s arts and cultural offerings,” said Edwardsville Arts Center Executive Director Beth Browne. “This new location will allow the Edwardsville Arts Center to reestablish an exhibition gallery and expand our art education programming, creating more opportunities for residents and artists of all ages to engage with the arts. We are deeply grateful that the City recognizes the value of the arts in strengthening a community. Their continued support has been vital to our ability to maintain programming following our move from the high school to the Montclaire Firehouse.”
The City will retain ownership of the building, but is planning to lease the site to the Edwardsville Arts Center.
This project is the fifth to be funded from the Kriege donation through the Edwardsville Community Foundation. The foundation previously awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to the City for four projects.
The building at 246 N. Main Street was a downtown business staple for more than 70 years, having operated as Edwardsville Frozen Foods since 1947. In the decades after it opened, it added the “Herbie the Hereford” statue atop the building entrance, which became a widely recognized and beloved symbol downtown. It was rebranded in 2017 as the Goshen Butcher Shop, but closed a few years later.