New laundromat next to city hall

Those attending Monday night Du Quoin city council meetings will have to share space with those on the spin cycle of a new laundromat which will be built immediately north of city hall starting in December.

Du Quoin economic development director Jeff Ashauer confirmed on Tuesday that Anna, Ill. developer Jim Prater who owns the Wonder Wash in Anna is the builder.

The new site-built business will go on a vacant lot now used for city parking that decades ago was home to a Kroger store, later Value Plus liquors and up until a fire destroyed the building an archery shop and tae kwon do martial arts center owned by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Black.

The building burned in a horrific fire on March 3, 2000 said to have possibly started from sparks off an arrow cutoff wheel falling into a wastebasket.

The city had leased the lot from the Tom Black family to supplement parking around city hall. The property was later sold to a Carbondale investor.

Ashauer said there are no requests for substantial financial help. The only real issue was finding access to the sewer without having to cut into recently paved South Washington Street in front of city hall. That seems to have been solved.

The owner says he is willing to share the available parking with city hall.