Galesburg City Council on Monday authorized city staff to negotiate a lease agreement with Downtown Depot at 120 E. Main St. The Downtown Depot currently supplies hot meals on Monday nights and non-perishable food items, diapers, hats, gloves, blankets, hygiene items, and children's coats to whoever needs them. Director of Community Development Steve Gugliotta says the next steps would be that the city will draft up a lease and begin communicating with the Depot's operators "on terms and what may work best for both parties." The City Council ultimately will have to approve the lease agreement. Around December 2020, there was a verbal agreement for the Blessing Box Depot, now known as the Downtown Depot to utilize a portion of the city-owned property with no fee. The approval was to assist the group with getting started and to provide space for the organization to get started as a non-profit. Operator of the Downtown Depot, Diane Crock says "We ask no questionsâ
Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on a new $6 million medical clinic, but first Graham Health System is seeking several zoning changes to the proposed site on the north side of Galesburg.