NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
City of Effingham and Library Team Up On Two Projects
Release Date: Nov. 20, 2007The Effingham City Council and the Helen Matthes Library Board are teaming together on two major projects that will benefit residents, while attracting visitors and potential residents to the region.
Over the past two years, the City of Effingham has been working on plans to construct a 83,000-square-foot sports complex, and during the Tuesday City Council meeting, commissioners explained how the project to construct a sports complex tied into a second large project, which is to relocate the Helen Matthes Library to the building that currently houses 5th/3rd Bank.
Currently, the City Council has an option to purchase 17.37 acres on the northeast side of the City, northeast of Evergreen Hollow Park and Southeast of the YMCA facility. Tuesday night, the City Council approved a second option to purchase five acres of land from the Helen Matthes Library. Both options will expire on March 24.
As a result of the City approving an option to purchase land from the library that at one time was to be the site for a new library, the Helen Matthes Library is now looking into the possibility of relocating into the current Fifth Third Bank building.
“The Library has needed a new facility for some time,” said Library Board President Jeff Weis. “Land was purchased in 2001 to build a new library, but construction costs were too high to consider an entirely new building.”
Weis said the library has looked at several options over the past several years, and considering results from a 2006 survey, the library board determined residents felt the library could best serve the public at a downtown location, which led the library board to consider the bank building.
Although the library is working with the City of Effingham, the Effingham County Community Foundation, library sources and private funding sources to acquire the funds for the purchase of the building and renovation costs, the library will not be able to move forward with the project without increasing its Corporate Fund revenue, which can only be accomplished through a referendum.
With that in mind, the Effingham City Council agreed to place a question on the February ballot asking for an increase of 12 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation for all taxable property within the City. The increase for property owners would include: property owners with property valued at $50,000 would see a $15.80 annual increase; $75,000 would see a $25.80 increase; $100,000 would see a $35.80 increase; $150,000 would see a $55.80 increase; and $200,000 would see a $75.80 increase.
“With a successful referendum, we know we will be able to operate a new building,” said Amanda Standerfer, Library Director. “We don’t want the situation where we have a new larger facility, but are unable to open the doors.”
Standerfer admits that there are still several details to hammer out, but said the public will be kept up-to-date with project plans as they progress. She added the library expects to have the cost of the bank building and cost of renovations available to the public in January.
“Once agreements are reached, we will release the information to the public,” she said, adding the library and city are still in preliminary discussions with the bank.
Hank Stephens, economic development consultant for the City of Effingham, has been working closely with both projects and believes Effingham is in a unique position to move forward with both based on revenue figures for the Tax Increment Finance Fund and the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund.
Stephens said the $13-million project to construct the sports center is one the City can afford, with $5.5 million to be paid from the Hotel/Motel Fund over a 20 year period, with $4 million to be paid from the Tax Increment Finance Fund over a 10 year period, and with $3.5 million taken out of this year’s TIF budget. He added the City also has TIF funds available to support the library’s relocation costs.
Commissioners voiced their support for the library’s referendum, with both Commissioner Larry Micenheimer and Commissioner Karen Flach stating the library was one of the top items on their priority list. Both shared stories about their recent visit to the current building and agreed a new location with more space would be a benefit to the community.
Mayor John Lange was unable to attend the Council meeting, but agreed in a statement read at the meeting that both projects will benefit the City and the region.
“The City of Effingham is known throughout the region as being a progressive community,” said the mayor. “We work hard in our City to insure our prosperous future, whether it be through job creation, infrastructure improvements, or in this case, improving the quality of life. It is time for the City of Effingham to take the next step forward in these two very important projects that will work hand in hand to benefit the entire community.
“In Effingham, we believe it is important to have a vision for the future, which is why our community continues in its success,” he added. “As we team together to create projects that will not only benefit residents, but also attract visitors and customers, we know that we will continue to flourish as a City.”
Information on the Sports Center project can be found on the City’s website at www.effinghamil.com