What to know about Marseilles pursuit for new city hall, police station

The Marseilles City Council agreed by a 3-2 vote Wednesday that it is willing to borrow up to $2.3 million for the purchase and renovation of the Illinois Valley Cellular building for a new city hall and police station.

No purchase or agreements have been made between the city and MTCO Communications.

There’s been plenty of chatter on social media among Marseilles residents, and the meetings have been well attended.

Here’s what to know about the issue.

[ Marseilles looks to move City Hall, police department to Illinois riverfront building ]

[ Marseilles council to continue negotiations for IV Cellular building ]

Why does the city of Marseilles want to borrow $2.6 million if the building has been appraised for less?

The proposed purchase price for the property is $1.6 million, but the $2.3 million would include renovations required to house the police department, according to the City Council.

“This just provides the vehicle for us to get the money if we choose to do so,” Marseilles Mayor Jim Hollenbeck said. “We’re still negotiating with them. Once we get a total together from [proposed renovator] Phalen Steel, we’ll work on getting a price on sealing the rest of the blacktop down there, fixing the cracks. We’re using all these issues as a negotiating tool to see if we can get the price down some more.”

What is the condition of Marseilles City Hall and police station?

Marseilles City Hall is 100 years old and was a car dealership and a garage before becoming the city’s headquarters. The facility needs upgrading, according to a Marseilles news release.

City Hall has four furnaces and air conditioning units, along with 11 different electrical panels. The windows are in poor condition, and there isn’t any insulation. The mayor also said City Hall is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The police department has a need for a garage. The police department also doesn’t have a training room, according to the release.

Why doesn’t Marseilles renovate its current city hall and police station?

The new owners of Illinois Valley Cellular have said that they would sell the building to the city for $1.45 million, according to a news release. This calculates to be $53 per square foot. Remodeling the current city hall was estimated to cost about $343,200 to $514,800, which calculates to be $80 to $120 a square foot, according to an August news release.

If the city were to move to the complex at 200 Riverfront Drive, it would have the option to sell some of the real estate for other construction or business purposes, according to the release. It is undecided if the city would go this route.

Can the Marseilles City Council talk about the purchase in closed session?

Yes, the Open Meetings Act allows for the City Council to meet in closed session to talk about the acquisition of real estate. It must finalize any action taken in open session with a council vote.

Will the Marseilles City Council put the issue on the ballot as a referendum?

Hollenbeck said no, the City Council doesn’t consider that as an option.

What happens to the Middle East Conflicts Wall and museum if the IV Cellular building is sold?

City officials have said that they will keep the memorial and museum in place. If another buyer were to purchase the property, there’s no guarantee its plan for the property would include allowing the memorial or museum to remain as it is.