DURAND, Ill. (WIFR) – Mike and Jolynn Langley stroll a few feet out of their Anytime Fitness in downtown Durand. Turning a key at the front door, they enter the 135-year-old building home to The Fire Barn – empty since September of last year.
“A place like The Fire Barn is essential to small towns,” exclaims Mike Langley. Once inside, the couple lays out their vision for their recent purchase: “Fire Barn 2.0.″
From Lake Summerset, the Langley’s opened their gym in 2018. The pair say it was hard watching their neighbor, Fire Barn, sit empty since September. Memories of the community filling the restaurant during the Annual Street Dance for July 4 inspired the acquisition…