October 17, 2024
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Streator council to vote on Arby’s deal next meeting

Fate of $30,000 TIF grant for proposed restaurant will be readdressed by new council

By Charlie Ellerbrock
Arby’s is looking to build a location at the northwest corner of Bloomington Street and Oakley Avenue in Streator, at the former location of Gautschy’s Corner, a former gas station and auto shop.

Arby’s is looking to build a location at the northwest corner of Bloomington Street and Oakley Avenue in Streator, at the former location of Gautschy’s Corner, a former gas station and auto shop. (Derek Barichello)

The Streator City Council will consider again an incentives deal to build an Arby’s restaurant.

Charles H. Walsh Jr., one of the partners in the Streator Equity Group that bought the land at Bloomington Street and Oakley Avenue, formerly known as Gautschy’s Corner, addressed the council Tuesday and said if the city were to award a $30,000 tax increment financing redevelopment grant, it would be used to demolish the building at the corner and make way for an Arby’s restaurant.

He said he believed the people leasing the land would be putting up their own building to house the restaurant.

“There’s still a chance that the new owners would go ahead without this funding, but it will be a wait to see just when that magical formula will work for them.”

—  Streator Mayor Tara Bedei

The council voted 4-1 to deny the grant last November, with Mayor Tara Bedei providing the only supporting vote, but the subject was revisited by the new council and will be voted on at its regular meeting Wednesday, July 19. The council met Tuesday during its committee of the whole. The council doesn’t vote on agenda items at these meetings. The council has two new members David Reed and David “Moose” Conner since that vote. They replaced council members Brian Crouch and Jacob Darby, who both voted against the request.

Bedei said the project would increase the property’s value enough to pay back the sum into the TIF in roughly two years.

“We’ll find out next week, with the majority of the council, whichever way it goes,” Bedei said when asked if the city was moving forward with it. “There’s still a chance that the new owners would go ahead without this funding, but it will be a wait to see just when that magical formula will work for them.”

Streator does not have an Arby’s. There are Arby’s locations in Ottawa, Peru and Pontiac.

In an update of the city’s strategic plan, Bedei also reported the city has had 14 applicants for the Housing Redevelopment Plan, a system that takes into consideration owner occupation, income requirements and projects that would make the property more livable.

Streator received $550,000 last summer for housing rehabilitation from Community Development Block Grants awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. The state awarded $8 million in assistance for 15 communities to invest in 154 housing improvement projects.

She added of those 14, 10 were scored a priority scale and those will receive up to $50,000. When those 10 are completed through work by the North Central Illinois Council of Governments, the four remaining properties will be moved to the top of the list for the next round of grants.

Streator Police Chief John Franklin informed the council his department has three new hires: Dispatcher John Thompson, who will begin study at the Illinois Police Academy in August; officer Cipriano Lopez, who will graduate the academy and join the force; and officer Ryne Reel, who now will serve as a full-time investigator.

In other action, the council:

Received an information from Gina Czubachowski, executive director of the North Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation. Bedei is the only member still with the council from when the time the city joined the economic development group. Czubachowski told the council members about her organization and how it helps draw attention and businesses to Streator and its member cities in the Illinois Valley.

Heard a review of a three-tier proposal for the issuance of liquor licenses in the city, separating them into special events (venues with private parties with food), movie theater venue (like the theater, which currently has a restaurant license) and live performance venues (such at Powerhouse Wrestling). The proposal will be voted on at the next meeting Wednesday, July 19.

Heard a proposal to buy 15 feet of land from the New Beginnings Church so a traffic signal can be moved further away from the roadway. The signal was installed in its current location and in use for only six hours before it was damaged by a car. The item will be reviewed by the Planning Commission.