The Centralia City Council Monday night approved a Redevelopment Agreement with Gebke, LLC that owns Quality Sports Net at 2330 East Calumet Street.
Under the agreement, the city will provide Gebke a $100,000 five-year forgivable mortgage to help as the gap financing for the building through Tax Increment Financing District Number 6. Now former City Manager Lowell Crow says under the plan they will forgive 20-percent of the loan for each of the next five years the company under new owner Melissa Gebke stays in Centralia.
“They provide dividing nets on the gyms and they are one of 3 producers nationwide for that and also provide the nets for the Macy’s Day Parade as well as several others and expanding into doing other nets. She believes she can grow the business over the next 3-4 years to have 15 people employed, currently, she has 8.”
Crow says he was tipped off that the new owner of the company was looking to move out of the city to Carlyle which spawned the assistance plan. He says there is money in TIF6 to finance the forgivable loan.
The business is in the process of being purchased from the family of the former owner who passed away last year.
