MATTOON — The Mattoon City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on allocating tax increment financing (TIF) grant funding to help with repairs for two buildings downtown.

In addition, the council will vote on plans for a Mattoon High School water main project and a Richmond Avenue sidewalk project during its meeting at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.

One of the proposed grant agreements involves reimbursing building owner Jasper Holdings LLC of Mattoon up to $40,000 annually over a three-year period from downtown TIF district revenues for repairs at the former Thrifty drug store building, 1632 Broadway Ave. The work will consist of handicap-accessible elevator and plumbing code compliance work, plus façade improvements.

The three-story building houses State Beauty Supply and its west wall is set to eventually be the canvas for a city mural. This building is across the street from Heritage Park and across a parking lot from the train depot.

The other proposed TIF grant agreement involves reimbursing building owner Jarrick Honn of Mattoon up to $21,590 annually over a three-year period for structural repairs and façade improvements to the two-story building at 1622 Broadway Ave., the location of Honn’s War Zone role playing game store.

Regarding the proposed water main project plans, Public Works Director Dean Barber reported to the council that new mains and hydrants will be installed near the high school to improve fire flow and water quality. The new mains will be along Walnut Avenue from 25th to 27th street, and 25th from Walnut to Marion avenues.

“The bid opening is May 5. The work is intended to be completed during the high school’s summer break,” Barber said, adding that water service funds will pay for this work.

Barber said the Richmond sidewalk project plans call for replacing the walk, curb and gutter on the south side of this roadway from 12th to 13th streets through capital funds. This work will take place next to the site of the former street department building, which the city demolished in 2019 after opening a new public works building along DeWitt Avenue East.

In other matters, the council will consider allocating two Tourism Advisory Committee-recommended grants from hotel/motel tax funds and one grant from festival management-Bagelfest funds for special events that are starting to resume now that COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings have been eased.

The proposed tourism grants consist of $18,000 to Mattoon Pride Softball for hosting four tournaments and $6,000 to the Mattoon YMCA for hosting three sporting events, and the $3,000 festival grant would go to the YMCA for hosting the Run for the Bagel footrace.

Other proposed council actions include: 

— Employing Zachary Dye of Effingham as a probationary firefighter, effective May 2021. Dye has national emergency medical technician-basic certification and serves in the Illinois National Guard.

— Appointing musician and music teacher John Clarkson to the Mattoon Arts Council.

From the archives: Vintage Cross County Mall ads