Ottawa council authorizes bidding on homeless shelter property

The Ottawa City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday that authorizes a sale and opening of bidding on 1120 Canal St., the current location of Illinois Valley Public Action Deliver Shelter.

Mayor Dan Aussem said this action was taken with the intention of selling the property to PADS, allowing the agency to tear down the current building and rebuild at the same location.

“After their request to locate to the South Side failed, we agreed to meet with them and had some discussions on the opportunities they have,” Aussem said. “With preliminary construction layouts, they can fit a new building where they’re at. We’ll just have to try and coordinate how we’re going to demolish the existing building to get ready to build without displacing anybody.”

Aussem said this is the first step the city is required by law to take so it put the building for sale.

Illinois Valley PADS approached the Ottawa Plan Commission and the Ottawa City Council within the last couple of months with plans to locate to a property on McKinley Road on Ottawa’s South Side. These plans fell through after residents near the location voiced concerns.

The Ottawa shelter recently reopened after staffing issues led services to be consolidated to the Peru shelter for 111 days.