Streator approves Beck’s Oil gas station on former church site

Beck’s Oil will tear down the former Immaculate Conception Church and build a gas station, convenience store and car wash in Streator.

The Streator City Council unanimously approved the project during Wednesday night’s meeting.

Under the proposed plan, Beck’s would invest about $11 million into the site, with the city reimbursing up to $2.57 million through a “pay-as-you-go” tax-increment financing agreement, meaning the company would be repaid over time from a share of new property taxes the property will generate. The city would pay nothing upfront.

According to the agreement, a car wash must be built or the rebate would be voided.

During the public comment period, the council also heard from former council member Bill Phelan, who urged the city to push the vote until next month’s meeting to give the public more opportunity to voice its opinion.

Phelan said his opposition is not about saving the church, as he understands it has to come down. He wants to ensure the council has explored all other avenues before committing to the Beck’s project to determine what’s in the best interest of the city.

City Manager David Plyman overviewed the proposal for the council, noting that while 85% ($2.5 million) of the increment going back to Beck’s may sound like a lot, that also means the city gets 15% of all the growth.

He also noted that if the city was unable to approve the agreement, Beck’s would sell the property and abandon the development.

Mayor Tara Bedei noted that the current block is generating $79,632 a year in property tax to the city, but once the city reimburses Beck’s, the city is estimated to receive an additional $20,000 to $30,000 a year.

Council member David Reed pointed out that even with the reimbursement, Beck’s still is investing about $8.5 million into the community.

“That’s substantial,” he said. “I’ve always said that when somebody comes to us and says, ‘We want to invest in the community,’ we shouldn’t say, ‘Well, here are the hoops you’ve got to jump through.’ We should say, ‘Thank you for wanting to invest in our community.’”

Demolition of the church could begin this winter, with the city and county tax assessor estimating that the project could generate about $150,000 in property taxes annually.