Citizens of Rushville have begun to see many projects starting this spring and summer.
Currently, there is work being done on the Campaign Quarters Durbin Project which is across the street from City Hall.
“This is just one more step to bringing the former Durbin Hotel back to the wonderful vibrancy that it once knew,” ECDC Executive Director John McCane said. “The Brownfields grant that the city received will go a long way in helping the developer deal with environmental issues connected with the property. The partnership on this project will help this development move one step closer to completion.”
Carolyn Bunzendahl, who is helping with the Brownfield Grant, visited the site Tuesday morning.
“This is part of the assessment. This was a previous gas station back in the 1940s,” Bunzendahl said. “SME did some geophysical work and identified some tanks below and are doing some assessments. This is all being done with the Brownfield Grant. There has been a phase one assessment prior to this, now the city has asked SME to help with this assessment then another prior to redevelopment. This is the Campaign Quarters; this is the very beginning of that to get it ready to revitalization.”
This particular project is a part of Stellar Communities grant, but it is not funded by Stellar. However, it was a Stellar Designation that got the tax credits that were needed to make this project a reality. Without tax credits, this project wouldn’t be in the works.
Below is a timeline of events for the Campaign Quarters Project:
Campaign Quarters (Durbin / Knights of Pythias) – “Rough Timeline”
• March 2017 – Secure IHCDA approval to stabilize building, begin architectural design, and begin soliciting proposals from tax credit investors
• May 2017 – Submit final funding application to Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (“FHLBI”) for a $500,000 AHP grant
• May – October 2017 – due diligence
• September 2017 – FHLBI award announcements
• November 2017 – Secure all permits and close on financing
• December 2017 – Start Construction/Rehabilitation
• This timeline is subject to a 2-4 month delay depending on the outcome of the following unknown issues: Historic approval and tax credit market
• Overall, 2017 will not produce much if any visible evidence that this project is moving forward as we spend a great deal of time pushing the paperwork necessary to start the redevelopment of these buildings.
“The Durbin will be age restricted (seniors) and Pythias will not have any age requirements. We have been doing some stabilization on both building and are removing some old tanks from the parking lot of the Durbin. The city and EDC have been great partners and the city’s Brownfield grant has been a great help to the project in assisting in mitigating the environmental conditions at the site,” Executive Director of ARa Eric Frey said.
“We are very excited to see this project continue to move forward,” Special Projects Director Brian Sheehan said. “This is just one step in a long process that will bring new life into this historic building and our downtown. By the end of this year, first of next, if all goes well, we should start seeing construction. I am so looking forward to that day.”