The Vandalia City Council approved two Tax Increment Finance agreements during it meeting on Monday night. The council first approved the application from Justin Durbin for work on the building at 101 S. 5th Street to the full council. Work included in the project will be on the south and west walls of the building including tuckpointing, repairing cracks, joints and deterioration in the brick as well as staining the south wall when restoration work is completed so that it will match the other brick on the building. Following the recommendation brought to the council after a work session earlier this month, an agreement for TIF funds covering the entire scope of the project at a cost of $48,600 was approved unanimously by the council.
The second TIF agreement approved during the meeting was one with Dennis Grubaugh for work on the old Ben Franklin building at 425 W. Gallatin Street. When asked if he had a tenant lined up for the building, Grubaugh told the council that they had not signed the lease yet but he did have someone very interested in the building. A motion was then approved to award $26,000 for the project which is just shy of 50% of the total projected cost of just under $54,000.