Ottawa council gives homeless shelter more time to construct new building

The Ottawa City Council still intends to sell the Illinois Valley Public Action to Deliver Shelter homeless shelter its 1120 Canal St. location for $100, but finalization of the agreement will have to wait at least a week.

The council placed the agreement on file during a special meeting Tuesday.

This agreement was placed on file previously, although the terms had to be amended in a way significant enough it warranted being placed on file again, after PADS asked a provision requiring its new building be constructed within two years be changed to three years.

Mayor Dan Aussem said this would allow PADS to navigate rising construction costs more easily, as well as give the homeless shelter more time to fundraise.

The resolution allowing the sale could pass as soon as the Tuesday, Sept. 20, City Council meeting, although Commissioner Tom Ganiere brought up an amendment to the contract that may require it to get placed on file again.

“If who we’re going to sell it to would sell it more than 180 days after we sell it, we don’t have any provision to buy it back,” Ganiere said. “So, I’m suggesting that the buyback provision goes until they start construction.”

Whether that provision will be amended before the next meeting depends on if PADS agrees to it, and Aussem said whether the agreement will have to be placed on file again, depends on what lawyers advise.