In a 4-3 vote last night, Galesburg aldermen decided to no longer pursue re-developing the Broad Street Armory into a recreation and community center–at least, not with the earmarked funding source of $3.45 million from a bond issue.
The decision came after more than a year of polarizing public comment and differing opinions on the City Council.
Two votes came last night. The one that failed would have included the development in budget talks and among other parks and recreation decisions, such as building a mini golf course or baseball and softball fields.
The final vote, however, eliminated the proposal. Ward 5 Alderman Peter Schwartzman was not pleased with the decision.
“I’m quite disappointed in the council tonight,” Schwartzman said in closing comments. “This was an advisory vote and there are certainly other things we can do with this money that can be positive and I’m looking forward to those types of ventures, but I also think the message that a lot of people are getting is we’re not really community focused.”
Ward 6 Alderman Wayne Allen supported the decision.
“At some time or place the Armory will have some work done on it,” Allen said. “But, we’ll know why we’re doing it and what we’re doing it for.”
Now, council could use the money for parks and recreation options. Or, as some aldermen and the mayor have advocated for, the entirety could also go to repair city streets and sewers.
