Park Board Looking at New Year's Opening for Workman Complex

Effingham Park District officials are now "reasonably looking" at a New Year's Day 2016 opening date for the Workman Sports and Wellness Complex.

Effingham Park Board President David McDevitt said the construction schedule is 25 days behind. McDevitt said, though, that progress is being made. He said the foundation is now in place, and that structural steel is to arrive this month. Park commissioners Wednesday also looked at a sample panel of the concrete to be used and gave their approval.

McDevitt Thursday said he'd spent much of the day negotiating with HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital on the lease of space in the Complex for some of their programs, which is to serve as a revenue source for the Park District. He said work also continues on a contract for the acquisition of Get Fit Family Fitness, which is to relocate into the Complex.

Tom Hilgrove of Rink Management, the firm that will operate the complex, was also in town Wednesday for a construction meeting and for the Park Board meeting.

The Board approved a $447,000 payment to Poettker Construction of Breese, the general contractor on the complex project.

Park Board members Wednesday also approved the issuance of $500,000 in general obligation bonds to finance capital improvement projects in the district. A difference this year is that about $400,000 of the revenue generated from the sale of the bonds will go for expenses of the complex project, with the $100,000 balance going for other projects in the park district.