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Thursday, April 7, 2016
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Finding new life at the old Walmart City considers sales tax proposal to help renovation By Dave Cook dcook@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — The Princeton City Council reviewed the first reading of a new ordinance to authorize an incentive agreement between the city and a developer wanting to renovate the remaining vacant space of the old Walmart building. The Sachs Liermann Realty Group, a Missouri corporation, is interested
in purchasing the property currently owned by Princeton GM LLC and renovating the building, signage and parking lot. The total sales tax incentive is less than 10 percent of the total renovation budget. Commissioner Jerry Neumann said, “In essence, this group wants to renovate the old Walmart building by investing $1.5 million into this property and convert it into several retail spaces. In return, they’ve asked for
$120,000 in sales tax revenue over the next 10 years to help defray the costs of this project. I think this is an actual win-win for the city of Princeton, and I recommend we move this to the second reading.” City Manager Rachel Skaggs then provided more specific details of the proposed ordinance. “He’s going to be splitting it into four different parcels. The sales tax rebate is an amount up to $120,000
maximum, and Tractor Supply Co. is excluded from sales tax agreement because they’re already there generating revenue. It’s any new businesses that come into that space. The city would receive the first $10,000 in sales tax for the year; the developer would receive the second $10,000; and any amount over $20,000 will be split 50-50 between the city and the developer. Currently the city doesn’t receive any sales tax from that loca-
tion because it’s vacant and has been for about 10 years,” Skaggs said. Commissioner Laura Favia said, “I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Commissioner Ray Mabry asked Skaggs to share a request with the developer. “I know we can’t dictate this, but encourage the developer to use local contractors and local building materials and remind them that we have a company employing more than 500
people who make hydraulic door closers. It’d be nice to have everyone of those doors have an LCN door closer and to support our local businesses if they could do that,” Mabry said. The ordinance was moved to the second reading, and the developer hopes to close the sale in May. The city estimates the first full year of opening to be 2017. Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com
Stretching their resources U of I Extension makes due with minimal resources By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
A brush + a bottle = A lot of fun BCR photo/Eric Engel
Princeton Arts Academy owner Liana Hall (right, black and gold shirt) gives one of her students some direction during the Bottle and a Brush session Thursday, March 31. Hall hosts weekly classes in the Kompany Down Under, inviting the artist from individuals in the community.
Pick your park with a memorial bench Park district announces Met Ruck challenge
By Dave Cook dcook@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — The Princeton Park District has announced the expansion of its Zearing Park Memorial Bench Program to include benches at any of the district’s parks. Through the program, people may honor a person, event or organization by purchasing a park bench and memorial plaque. Elaine Russell, executive director of the Princeton Park District, said, “I had an indiYear 170 No. 42 One Section - 20 Pages
© Bureau County Republican
vidual come to me wanting a memorial bench. She and her mother used to walk all the time at Alexander Park, so she asked me if the bench could be placed there rather than at Zearing Park. We thought it was a wonderful idea, and we’ve decided to expand the program to include all of our parks.” The benches are 6 feet wide and are installed on a concrete slab. The cost of a bench is $1,500. To include a 5-inch-by7-inch plaque with the bench is $1,585 and a bench with a
10-inch-by-14-inch plaque is $1,737. In other business, recreation coordinator Nick Davis received notice from the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) that the Power Play! Beyond School Grant he applied for was approved, and the park district will be awarded $1,000 to be used to enhance programs for children. The Princeton Park District also announced a new event to challenge fitness lovers. On Saturday, June 25, local athletes
will have the opportunity to participate in Met Ruck 837, the park district’s first ruck challenge. Retired Army Sgt. Shawn Sullivan will lead a group on a three- to five-hour, four- to sixmile expedition march full of physical challenges. All participants will need for the challenge is a rucksack (backpack) with 15 to 20 pounds inside depending on their weight. People weighing under 150 pounds will need 15
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As with any entity reliant upon state funding, the University of Illinois Extension office is dealing with the budget impasse in Illinois as efficiently as possible and searching out additional monetary resources. Jill Guynn, county extension director at the U of I Extension Office, said its funding was suspended July 1, 2015, and they are waiting patiently and hoping the budget will be restored with haste. “We are being extremely conservative about what programs we offer, and we’re looking if there is a way to charge fees for certain programs,” Guynn said, noting the Extension office’s budget is typically based on local donations being matched by state funds — yet the state hasn’t held up its end of the agreement for close to a year. “We’re hoping we can get some additional local donations to maintain our programs.” The U of I Extension promotes youth development programs such as 4-H, as well as agricultural and natural resource programs like Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists. She said the situation has been greatly assisted by dedicated staff and volunteers who have been outstanding in meeting the different needs, but trying to squeeze two dimes out of three nickels is not fulfilling to anyone. “Positions have come open, and we have not filled them,” Guynn said, mentioning all her staff members are being very cautious. “We’re keeping a positive outlook, and our area has definitely come together during this time.” Regardless the optimistic endurance from Guynn and her colleagues, it is all too evident a budget
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