The Macomb City Council plans to vote next week on submitting a letter of intent to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, stating the city’s intent to establish a State Tax and Revenue Bond District (STAR). The district would provide funding for a large indoor sports complex.
City Administrator Scott Coker told the council in the committee of the whole session Monday, 'This is the first step in the DCEO process and does not obligate the city.' He said the state agency plans to designate one STAR Bond District in west central Illinois based on its ability to create new jobs and stimulate capital investment.
Coker presented a project timetable. Plan proposals are due January , 2027 and a public presentation is planned for March 26, 2027. Full design is due by May 31, 2028 and the full project plan is due by June 1, 2028. The plan is to be completed by July 2028.
In other business, aldermen discussed hiring Studio GWA of Rockford to assist with the redevelopment of the Randolph House. The firm would perform research and provide architectural designs for a fee of $54,580. Coker said the money would come from Downtown Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District funding. Studio GWA would provide Macomb with a hotel market study, a feasibility analysis, and floor by floor designs.
The city administrator said the plan is to maintain commercial occupancy on the building's first floor and remodel 15 hotel rooms on the second floor. Coker said, 'The goal is not for the city to retain ownership but to find a developer.' Studio GWA will provide the city with an evaluation of qualified developers that should be considered.
