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Kankakee approves $62,700 pharmaceutical cleanup at former Jaffee Drugsite; land bank to issue RFP for redevelopment
Summary
The council authorized waiving competitive bidding and awarded a $62,700 contract to Midwest Environmental Consultants for pharmaceutical cleanup at the former Jaffee Drug building; funding will combine downtown development, CDBG, TIF and general-fund sources and an RFP for redevelopment will follow cleanup.
The Kankakee City Council approved a resolution waiving competitive bidding and awarding a $62,700 contract to Midwest Environmental Consulting Services to perform pharmaceutical cleanup at the former Jaffee Drugstore property, clearing regulatory hurdles to transfer the site to developers.
Director Brewer Watson said the land bank secured the deed after a four-year legal process and must complete an Illinois EPA- and EPA-regulated pharmaceutical cleanup before marketing the site. Brewer Watson told the council that Midwest Environmental is on the list of contractors approved by EPA/Illinois EPA for this work and has inspected the building and provided estimates.
City funding for the cleanup will come from multiple sources: $10,000 from the Downtown Development Corporation (to help offset costs), $15,000 from Community Development Block Grant funds, $25,000 from the downtown TIF and $12,700 from the general operating fund, according to remarks in the meeting. The council voted to approve the resolution by roll call, 13 ayes, 0 nays.
Brewer Watson said the land bank intends to issue a public request for proposals for redevelopment and ownership once the cleanup is completed. The RFP process will be overseen by the Regional Land Bank Authority and will include public marketing and solicitation of proposals. Brewer Watson and aldermen said the project will be the land bank’s first major commercial redevelopment and that stabilizing the building façade to remove sidewalk barricades is also being evaluated.
The resolution authorizes staff to sign the contractor proposal and schedule cleanup; the meeting record indicates staff expect the cleanup work to begin promptly after contract execution and completion of procurement paperwork.
