Former Helen Matthes Library Building Sold

The former Helen Matthes Library building on Market Avenue in Effingham has been sold.

The Effingham Public Library Board Monday sold the former library building to Community Opportunities, Incorporated. The sale price is $150,728. The transaction is to close within 60 days.

Community Opportunities, Incorporated is a not-for-profit title-holding corporation based out of Nokomis. The plan is for Community Opportunities to renovate the building, then lease it to CEFS Economic Opportunity Corporation's Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Head Start will use the facility for an early educational center for approximately 60 low-income children, ages three to five years old, in the Effingham area. The students are now housed at the former West Side School. The Early Head Start program is now housed in the former Thies Grocery building along South Maple Street.

Utz and Associates of Effingham will perform a needs study on the Helen Matthes building. The renovation work to follow is estimated to take nine months to complete.

Community Opportunities, Incorporated has been providing office and educational facility space since September 1996. The corporation currently owns seven facilities and leases those facilities to a not-for-profit corporation.

As for the library, Director Amanda McKay is delighted with the transaction. McKay told her board that their mortgage payments have been $98,000/year. With Monday's transaction, the annual payment will be reduced into the $60,000s/per year.

Late Effingham Mayor Paul Eiche provided in his will for the construction of a library in memory of his mother, Helen Matthes. McKay said she feels Eiche would be happy with the transaction, since the building will still benefit young learners.

Also Monday, the library board approved the budget for the coming fiscal year.