ABOVE: Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation representatives speak during a May, 2023 STEPUP meeting.
An item on the Tuesday, March 12th Danville City Council Public Works Committee agenda would transfer $500,000 in City of Danville COVID relief ARPA funding away from its original recipient, the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation (SIHF). But both SIHF and Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr say that SIHF’s plans in Danville have not changed; they are simply taking longer than expected.
Having already opened a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) for District 118 families at Danville High School, SIHF had planned to build a community FQHC at the old St. Elizabeth Hospital site at 600 Sager Street, which SIHF took possession of in August of 2022.
However, with ARPA funds granted to Danville needing to be completely spent by December of 2026; and the deadline to have money allocated for contracts fast approaching, the city is looking to spend the ARPA funding elsewhere. The proposal calls for $275,000 to go to the David S. Palmer Arena for a much needed new HVAC system (six of eight units in current system not working), and $170,000 to go for improvements at Garfield Park.
(1st Picture) Examination room inside the SIHF Federally Qualified Health Center at Danville High School. (2nd Picture) The old St. Elizabeth Hospital site at 600 Sager Street, which SIHF took possession of in August, 2022.
SIHF told Neuhoff media Monday (March 11th) that the Danville plans at the old St. E’s site continue, but that things are still being worked out. Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr echoed that, saying that it must be understood how long it takes for things to come together for a major project like this.
AUDIO: People have no idea how long it takes to bring development projects together. And I think that’s classically what’s happening here; is just that it’s going to take longer than they originally planned to build and get it open. But they still absolutely plan to build. The city absolutely still supports the project. We desperately need all the services that they have provided and that they will offer in the future. And we are 100% in support of Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation.
Tuesday evening’s Danville City Council Public Works Committee meeting begins at 6 PM.
