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Lee County Conservation Seeks New Building

A second Lee County department is proceeding with plans for a new facility.

A special committee is currently working on a design for a new home for the health department.  The building would sit next to the Lee County Juvenile Detention Center.

At the same time, the Lee County Conservation Board has unveiled plans for a new learning center on its property along Highway 61.

The two departments had been working on a joint facility to make up for a lack of space, but the project failed to gain enough support to proceed.

Conservation Director Tom Buckley says the roughly 9,300 square foot facility between Montrose and Fort Madison would be great for his department.

"We see the potential for a lot more adult and public programming," says Buckley.

He says the building could cost about $1.8-million.  The department has been working with a representative of Midwest Construction Consultants on the design.

Buckley says the Conservation Board plans to ask the Board of Supervisors to hold a special election regarding the project.

He says the public would decide whether to borrow money to build the facility.

That request is expected to come, this week, when the supervisors tour the Conservation Department's current facility as part of their budget process.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.