CSC proposes Charger Center on old campus

Consistent with its mission statement of “Šworking in partnership with communities of the College district,” Carl Sandburg College is now exploring the benefits and costs associated with creating a new community center in Carthage.

This new complex would be owned and operated by the College and would be referred to as the Charger Community Center.

It would provide facilities to the Hancock County community for athletic and performing arts events, as well as a fitness center. Carl Sandburg College would hope to schedule several home athletic events for its' Charger basketball and volleyball teams at this location each year.

The facility would be located on the south side of Buchanan Street between Second and College Streets. Prairieland Investment Group LLC currently owns this site which was formally home to the Carthage College Bryan Auditorium.

In addition to Prairieland Investment Group, potential partners in the project may include the City of Carthage, Carl Sandburg College (CSC), the Carthage Park District (which includes the Carthage Family Fitness Center), Illini West High School District #307, the Western Illinois Economic Development Authority (WIEDA), Carthage Elementary School District #317, as well as community-based citizen groups interested in the performing arts.

Plans would provide for razing the Douglas Center to allow for constructing a new Carthage Community Gymnasium and Fitness Center, as well as rejuvenating the Bryan Auditorium. Douglas Center is the classroom addition on the west side of the auditorium.

As a result of this partnership, Prairieland Investment Group would donate the Douglas Center to Carl Sandburg College and then enter into a leaseback arrangement whereby all the potential partners, as well as the community at large, would have access to use these facilities on a scheduled basis. Carl Sandburg College would serve as the fiscal agent and site supervisor, thus providing one-stop services for all constituent groups.

CSC has formulated a draft facility master plan that the college hopes to present to the WIEDA board in the near future. Upon their approval, WIEDA would provide the front end financing through a bond issuance, with private contributions, grants, and eventual lease payments from project partners providing the revenues to repay the bond holders.

Construction could begin as soon as this winter to have the new center open for operation by fall 2009. The cost of the project is expected to be between $8.6 million to $9.4 million.