By Steven Stilt
The Centralia City Council on Monday evening approved a resolution for the disbursement of Tax Increment Financing funds to RE:Purpose Development, LLC, and heard an update on RE:purpose’s plans for certain downtown properties.
Managing Principal Shannon Cooney reported that RE:Purpose Development is reworking the scope of a state grant, as the group has shifted from a potential renovation of 112 East Broadway to a likely teardown and eventual rebuild of that building.
“We went through a structural analysis to try to determine whether or not we would go through the Historical Preservation Office to repair that building per historic standards. We decided it made more sense to tear that small one down and focus the majority of all that funding on 102 East Broadway, the complete historic renovation of that building, as well as some parkscaping and landscaping in ‘The Yard.’ So we’ll enhance the live entertainment venue downtown, tear the small building down and replace it with a newer building and do a historic remodel of 102 (East Broadway).”
Cooney told the council that the more immediate focus will be on the redevelopment of 102 East Broadway, which will feature residential space upstairs and commercial space on the first floor. He says the teardown of 112 East Broadway would be approximately 6 to 12 months away, and the planned new structure at that location would feature additional commercial space.
The council approved a disbursement of $55,632.84 from TIF District 3 to RE:Purpose, per a development agreement approved last June.
Council members also approved requests related to two Fourth of July events. The Centralia Lake Association’s request to host a fireworks display on Saturday, July 6, was approved. Also receiving approval was a resolution for the temporary closure of West Broadway and South Chestnut Street from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 4, for the annual Fourth of July Parade hosted by the Centralia Veterans Affairs Committee.
In other action, the council accepted a proposal from Ferguson Waterworks for a replacement water meter at a cost of $12,250. The meter will be installed at the Centralia Correctional Center, and city officials say the new equipment will provide more accurate readings from that high-usage location.
Also during Monday’s meeting, Mayor Bryan Kuder read a proclamation recognizing June 19 as “Juneteenth,” and presented the proclamation to members of the Centralia Juneteenth Committee. The local Juneteenth celebration will take place the weekend of June 14 through June 16 at Laura Leake Park.
