Pike Avenue Officially Opened to Beck's, Cross, Future Development

(CITY ENGINEER JEREMY HEUERMAN SNIPS THE RIBBON OFFICIALLY OPENING THE RECONSTRUCTED PIKE AVENUE)

Representatives of Beck's Seeds joined city and project officials for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Pike Avenue Wednesday morning.

Pike has been rebuilt from Raney Street west to the Beck's Seeds location on Bourgeois Drive, part of the frontage road leading south out of the Effingham Business Park. The project included concrete street surface, along with sidewalk and water and sewer service along most of the project length.

City Administrator Jim Arndt said the project cost $2.5 million. The cost was covered with $1.3 million in economic development funds from IDOT along with another $102,000 in IDOT funds to bring the roadway up to truck traffic standards. Federal CDAP funds contributed $285,000, and the City kicked in $154,000 in revolving loan funds and $600,000 in TIF dollars. Beck's contributed the balance of the project cost.

Jim Zimmer of Beck's was present. He noted City officials were "fabulous to work with".

(JIM ZIMMER OF BECK'S SEEDS)

Arndt served as Master of Ceremonies. He credited City Council members past and present for their support of the project, and thanked City staffers for their work, along with representatives of Milano and Grunloh Engineers, IDOT and South Central Illinois Regional Planning and Development Commission for their contributions.

Arndt noted that the project opens up several properties for development, and also eases access to the Cross at the Crossroads.