City hustles to get Sysco project details completed         

[JUNE 15, 2005]  Mayor Davis' words that this may be "the biggest thing we've ever done" may be some comfort from the pressures as deadlines loom to meet Sysco's request to break ground on July 1. The city of Lincoln, Logan County, and the Lincoln and Logan County Development Partnership must complete and sign a development agreement before getting the money to purchase the land and then to actually purchase that land.

This may sound easy, but take into account four different parties, two bound by limited voting opportunities, coordinating in one agreement. Many processes and decisions have gone into preparing for Sysco to be able to come here, and with the final stage here, many other processes are yet to be completed. Officials are bending over backward making provisions in an attempt to make the desired July 1 groundbreaking.

First in the order of business is the development agreement. It must be signed by the city of Lincoln, Logan County, and Lincoln/Logan County Development Partnership with Robert's Sysco Food Services.

The next county voting session is on June 21. It will then fall to the city for vote on June 28. Once the development agreement is in place, attorney Kurt Froehlich can begin the process of acquiring debt certificates that will be used to finance city and county expenses in the project.

The county is responsible for the purchase of the land. Because the debt certificates take 30 to 45 days to process and the money to purchase the land is needed immediately and the county cannot legally borrow money, but the city can, the city will arrange a short-term loan. An agreement for repayment from the county will need to be put in place to do that.

Following the finalized agreement the land will be purchased, and closing is scheduled to take place by June 30.

In the middle of these dealings, the 52-acre parcel that will be sold to Sysco at $1 per acre will be rezoned and annexed into the city of Lincoln.

Other agreements and processes that will be started for the construction development include:

• Extension of Heitmann and Madigan drives.

Madigan Drive will be extended and used for construction access to the site. It will be paved after construction is completed and will probably be the main truck entry and exit to the site.

A road connecting Heitmann and Madigan will also be developed. As part of the project development, it qualifies for 50 percent funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation. The city will cover the other 50 percent of the cost.

All road development directly connecting with Route 10 and Interstate 55 will receive 100 percent funding through an Illinois Department of Transportation economic development grant. The grant covers costs between $200,000 and $2 million of the road construction costs, including engineering fees, traffic signals and turn lane modifications.

• The addition of two transformers.
  The city will pay for the transformers. AmerenCILCO will provide the labor

• Gas lines will be run from Connelley Road to the site.
  The city, again, covers material costs. AmerenCILCO will provide the labor.

• The city will assist with railroad spur access in any way they can.

The property is already in the Lincoln/Logan County Enterprise Zone.

The city is offering tax rebates on the 1 percent sales tax the company pays in, as well as fuel sales tax rebates from their fuel purchases for their trucking.

West Lincoln-Broadwell School also agreed to abate property taxes for the next 10 years. In exchange the company agreed not to conduct truck traffic around the school.

July 1 falls two weeks from this Friday. The council approved the preliminary agreement, in which Mayor Beth Davis is given the right to sign documents as soon as they become available.

Dalip Bammi, who represents Sysco in this project, said: "I'd like to thank everyone for all the assistance to us and the kindness. I cannot say enough about Lincoln, Logan County and the development partnership. I truly believe that this will be prosperous for all of us."

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