Spring Street sewer project in Streator complete

$338,078 project made possible with $156,942 in grants

Construction on Spring Street in Streator is complete.

City Engineer Jeremy Palm told the City Council on Wednesday the storm sewer along the 100 through 500 blocks of Spring Street, including in front of OSF Center for Health, was rehabilitated and installed.

The $338,078 project was funded using $156,942 in grant funds from the close out of a Community Development Block Grant Revolving Loan Fund and $181,136 of city road funds.

The city was awarded the grant in December 2019, approved an agreement for it in December 2020 and bid the project in February. Construction started in March and concluded in September on the five block stretch.

No residents spoke at Wednesday’s public hearing closing out the grant.

“The project went well,” Palm said.

In other items:

  • The City Council conducted the close out hearing for the last of 12 Downstate Small Business Revitalization grants received by Streator businesses. Chalkey’s Tavern was issued $18,600 in COVID-19 relief funds through the program.
  • The City Council approved an annual tax levied on property tax bills for maintenance of the Streator Library. Councilwoman Tara Bedei said the City Council was not voting an increase in property taxes with this measure.
  • The City Council tabled authorization of a special use permit to install an electronic billboard at 1612 N. Bloomington St. Discussion on the issue is expected at next month’s meeting.
  • The City Council vacated a portion of South Shabbona Street at the southern dead end of the street to allow for the sale of adjacent properties as two existing garages at 608 and 609 S. Shabbon St. were built on the right-of-way roughly three decades ago. A sewer line exists on the right-of-way, but the city was given an easement.