Downtown Du Quoin sidewalk replacement to begin Sept. 3; Pre-project meeting Thursday
Beautiful new sidewalks in downtown Du Quoin over the next three months will come at a price--listening to backhoe-mounted jackhammers, hundreds of tons of concrete crashing into dump trucks, more orange safety cones and a lot of dust.
But, it will be worth it, right?
City administrator Brad Myers told members of the city council Monday he will have a pre-project meeting with contractor E.T. Simonds Construction Co. this Thursday, before the start of the nearly $800,000 project that begins the day after Labor Day--Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Myers said he wants to know where the project starts, how it will proceed, who will be inconvenienced and for how long and whether there will be one crew or two crews working in downtown Du Quoin. The newspaper will convey that information as it becomes available.
The program, funded by an Illinois Department of Transportation downtown beautification grant, follows the recent installation of new water mains on Main and Washington Streets and will be followed by the repaving of Main Street in downtown Du Quoin.
Decorative lampposts will be taken down and refurbished. Downtown trees will come out and be replaced. The end game will include a new SCT transit bus stop downtown, possibly a new downtown clock, and the start of a program to install commemorative plaques on historic buildings that give a short narrative of their history, an idea that worked well for Ann Arbor, Michigan.
It's all part and parcel of what the Tax Increment Financing Districts are doing for Du Quoin.
By economic development director Jeff Ashauer's accounting, the program generated $93,700 this year and $275,825 from all three districts since the program began in 2008. Without it, there would not be the new face on downtown Du Quoin.
All told, there have been approximately 25 TIF contracts with businesses, and another one was approved Monday night. Struck Chiropractic will be reimbursed for half of the $4,900 he will spend to tuck point the art deco facade on his medical building on North Division Street in downtown Du Quoin.
Finance commissioner Kathy West commented, "I am happy. This is beyond our expectations."
Ashauer said next year's budget of $144,839 will continue this work, partnering with Belt Tech to build a new facility in the industrial park, renovation of downtown lighting, resolve a zinc discharge issue at MPP, Inc., assist the fire department with tracking progress on their building inspection work through a computer and software program, historic preservation initiatives and ongoing assistance to small business.
The night began with a discussion of a planned business redevelopment district that would run from the intersection of South Washington and East Franklin Streets south to the intersection of Routes 51 and 14. Consultant Gene Norber.
Establishing the district will likely add a sales tax of one-half cent on most retail items sold within that district--including Walmart.
The tax--which by some estimates could generate several million dollars over the 23-year-life of the district--would be used to help businesses renovate and to help market empty buildings. A half-cent tax would amount to another 50 cents on every $100 purchase.
It could provide incentives to fill the Kroger space in Southtown, help businesses remodel and deal with empty spaces like the Dairy Queen, Ten Pin bowling alley and the Perfection Club restaurant building.
The district has already met the requirements of being "blighted" and lacking an influx of investment.
The council hopes that holding the Sept. 16 hearing at 6 p.m. at city hall will allow he city to file the necessary documents with the Illinois Department of Revenue and begin collecting the tax January 1, 2014.
Commissioner Josh Downs abstained from voting. Now employed by Coca-Cola, he felt there may be a conflict of interest if Coke is ever involved in one of the business plans.
In other action, the city has drafted a new lease for the Pepsi building on North Hickory which now houses Fairchild International, a mining parts and service provider. The council approved a new contract for incoming Chief of Police Jamie Ellermeyer. Mrs. Charlotte Lively on North Line has agreed to take down a carport encroaching on an alleyway. Dane Mason extended his appreciation to all involved for the success of this summer's concerts in the park with some thought to another series of music events this fall.