Macomb’s mayor said several things stand out about the site being considered for the proposed economic development project anchored by a sports facility.
The 30-acre site is at the southwest corner of East Jackson Street and Bower Road, which Mayor Mike Inman said has one of the highest traffic counts in Macomb.
“Traffic count at any given location is a prime factor in determining whether that property is ultimately purchased and developed by a private investor,” Inman said.
He said the daily traffic count at that location is more than 10,000 vehicles. In comparison, for example, the count on U.S. Route 67 near University Drive is about 6,700 vehicles.
“We already know if people are driving to that area, it makes the likelihood of a successful development — whatever that development is — much higher in that it’s already a known commodity, so to speak, for our retail sector,” Inman said.
The mayor said the property is also located in an area that could help the city receive STAR Bonds from the state for funding the project.
In addition, he said the city is acquainted with the site’s current owners, Peoria-based Jackson LLC, which also owns other properties in Macomb.
Inman said the city asked the owners whether they would be interested partnering on the project.
“They respectfully declined, but did offer the possibility of selling the property to the city so that we could have ultimate control and, if possible, sell it to another private developer and make this project come to fruition,” Inman said.
The city council has not yet voted on the purchase agreement, which gives the city until August of next year to decide whether to proceed.
The purchase price is $2 million, but there will be no cost to the city if the project does not go forward.
City council members did not spend much time discussing the purchase agreement during their March 9 committee of the whole meeting, but Inman pointed out they had already spent a good deal of time discussing it during previous executive sessions.
The mayor also said the city has been as transparent as possible, and in that vein, it will hold a public forum at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the Spoon River College Community Outreach Center, 2500 E. Jackson St.
City Administrator Scott Coker said a presentation will be given and there will be a question-and-answer session with the public.
Inman hopes that those who doubt the project will allow the city to do its due diligence in exploring it.
“Give us the grace as community members to try to pursue an opportunity. We have a Plan B that we could fall back on, but this is where we would like to try our very best,” he said.
The mayor said the city’s partners on the project support the continued research into it. Those partners are the Macomb Park District, McDonough County, the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce, the Macomb Area Economic Development Corporation, McDonough District Hospital, and the YMCA.
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