Ottawa City Council moves ahead with new homeless shelter site

The proposed new homeless shelter in Ottawa is no longer … homeless.

The Ottawa City Council on Tuesday night conducted a public hearing, heard a presentation regarding grant applications and approved several measures of support for the building of a new 100-bed homeless shelter at 1120 Canal St., the site of the current Public Action to Deliver Shelter building.

The city now is seeking a Community Development Block Grant through the Coronavirus Rural Shelter Program for the new address, which would replace the old 55-bed facility with one near twice the capacity.

The new 11,000 square foot structure would include men’s and women’s dorms, four regular and two large family rooms, a living area and community dining room. There also would be a family isolation room, a single isolation room, a classroom, an indoor play area, a laundry room, a community kitchen, a pantry, shower rooms and a donated clothes closet.

According to Blaire Krichl of the North Central Illinois Council of Governments, the cost of the “Give Hope A Home” Ottawa shelter project is expected to $4,494,905. Of that figure, the grant would provide $2 million of that amount, with $2,494,905 ($944,905 cash on hand, plus $2 million from a secured loan) coming from PADS.

According to Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty, the deadline for the application is Nov. 14. The city will probably hear the results of the program’s awards in May or June of 2025, which would slate the beginning of construction in the late spring of 2026.

“The shelter would have liked to have broken ground yesterday,” Hasty said, “but we’ve had to explain to them that this is a much longer process … We didn’t have a lot of time because of the grant deadline being what it is, the options were limited. With the pushback they received, (PADS) approached the city and asked, even though this was not their first option, if the city would support them for staying in their current location.

“In talking with the council, even though it’s not our preferential spot, the council isn’t in a position to hold up $3 million. It is a priority and a need in our community, so we’re making sure we’re doing whatever we could to make sure this happens.”

The council conducted a similar hearing on Oct. 15, but the backlash from residents near and around the proposed site at 429 W. Lafayette St. caused the city to go with another option.

The city-owned West Lafayette property hopes to move forward in seeking U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields grants for remediation of several levels of toxic top soil, making it of general use again.

However, though the city has “several ideas” on what to do with that lot, Hasty said that now without a project for use of the lot once it’s cleaned up, it would likely “slide to the bottom of the list.”

The council also conducted another public hearing regarding application for a Community Development Block Grant for the Illinois EPA-mandated separation of storm sewer separation.

Also, the council heard a presentation from Matt Stegeman, project manager for SRF firm that is preparing a strategic plan for NCAT.

In other action, the council:

• Approved the purchase of a cover for the Riordan Pool at a cost of $35,947.
• Approved a quote from Municipal Emergency Services for $386,356 for Ottawa Fire Department air packs, a majority of that cost covered by insurance.
• Approved the correction of an employment agreement between the city and Matthew Burgwald.
• Approved the hiring of Daniel Pond as a Community Development assistant.
• Heard Hasty read into the record a proclamation retroactively proclaiming Nov. 1 as National Family Literacy Day.