'A long time coming'
<span>EDITOR'S NOTE: To see the full video interview with Dave's Food Center owner Dave Mulholland, see the Herald Tribune's website or Facebook page.</span>
<span>The newest in a series of Steeleville construction projects, Dave's Food Center staff and city business, civic and economic leaders broke ground on a nearly $2 million expansion/renovation project on Dec. 17.</span>
<span>"What we're planning on doing is we've purchased the building next door and our plans are to build an approximately 5,500 square foot addition," said Dave's Food Center owner Dave Mulholland. "Which would almost double the size of our store."</span>
<span>Mulholland said plans are to put all the perishable items in the new addition, while the deli will stay in the current store.</span>
<span>"We're going to expand (the deli)," he said. "We're going to add hot foods, add to our cold deli and also add some self-service deli products in there.</span>
<span>"All of our frozen foods, dairy and meat products will be expanded also."</span>
<span>Mulholland noted that the expansion part of the project will be completed first, then the current store space will be remodeled.</span>
<span>"Everything should be done, hopefully, by mid-summer," he said.</span>
<span>Hurford Architects of Glen Carbon is handling the design portion of the project, with Ron's Construction Services of Sparta as general contractor.</span>
<span>Hurford architect Craig Rednour worked at Dave's Food Center as a high schooler.</span>
<span>"It's a good feeling," Rednour said of coming back to design a project at a former employer. "I've known Dave my whole life and worked with him and he is one of the best supervisors/bosses you could ever have.</span>
<span>"It was a privilege to come back and help design this big store for him."</span>
<span>To help make the project happen, Mulholland is receiving some Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds from the city.</span>
<span>According to Mike Armstrong, a member of the board of directors of the Illinois Tax Increment Association and a former Steeleville mayor, Mulholland is receiving $25,000 for demolition and property acquisition and improvement costs.</span>
<span>Mulholland will also receive $33,529.41 per year for TIF-eligible expenses starting December 1, 2016 through December 1, 2032.</span>
<span>The TIF funding was approved at the Steeleville Village Board's July meeting.</span>
<span>"This is a project I've been trying to get off the ground for almost four years now," Mulholland said. "We looked at a couple of different sites to try and build a brand-new store from the ground up and we couldn't get that to work out.</span>
<span>"Basically, last year I was pretty much going to say 'Here I am, I'll do the best I can with what I've got.'"</span>
<span>Mulholland said a key turning point was when the building next door, a gift shop, came up for sale and he took it as a sign. The building was demolished earlier this fall.</span>
<span>"I thought 'OK, this is a sign, I'll go for it,'" he said. "For us, it's a long time coming, but the fact that other things in town are growing, I feel can only help us."</span>
<span>The project joins a list of those already completed or in progress in Steeleville. First National Bank of Steeleville held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new building a month ago and a new dermatologist's office is under construction downtown.</span>
<span>The city is also in the planning stages for a new firehouse and has begun work on a parking lot addition to Steeleville Village Hall.</span>