Village hall from the 1800s demolished to pave way for new hall
St. Jacob said good-bye last month to a building which has been apart of the village’s history since the 1800s.
A trackhoe was taken to the old building to help pave the way for the opening of the new village hall. The village pride page posted about the demolition on Dec. 29.
The construction for the new hall is completed. But, while Mayor Richard Schiefer said village administration is operating out of the new building, there needs to be some finishing touches made before its public debut.
The groundbreaking for the construction was on April 13 and Schiefer said the village will host a dedication ceremony later this year, maybe sometime in March or April.
The new building will is located near where the old village hall once stood, which is at the corner of 3rd and Douglas streets. The new hall plan, approved in December 2015, is a ranch-syle building. Unlike the old building, it coincides with standard energy code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The hall provides handicap accessibility, private offices for the village clerk, building clerk, building inspector, police chief and mayor and easily accessible council chambers. The building also has added a garage for St. Jacob officers.
To build the hall St. Jacob received about $790,000 of federal funds, which came from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Community Development Initiative Grant made to support rural development in Illinois. The village will be paying back the federal loan over the next 20 years, according to Schiefer.
Last year, Schiefer said the new hall is a step toward the village officials plan to further develop St. Jacob. The hall will accompany new subdivisions and he said businesses keep improving. Fundraising is also in the works for rehabilitating the village water tower and for refurbishing Douglas Street, the main street in the village.
Scheifer said village officials hope the improvements will bring more people to St. Jacob.
This story was originally published January 11, 2018 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Village hall from the 1800s demolished to pave way for new hall."