The Village of Mackinaw engaged the EDC to prepare a successful application for a $100,000 Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) grant about a year ago to finance a portion of the costs of constructing a concrete parking lot for the IGA store that was destroyed by fire in September, 2008. 

The grant was a critical component of the store’s reconstruction and viability, because, among other reasons, that part of the store property was not covered by insurance.  The new, much larger concrete parking lot was constructed by Peoria Metro Construction at a cost of $119,911.  The balance of the cost of the lot not covered by the grant was paid by the Village of Mackinaw and Zehr Foods, owner of the IGA.

The construction was performed over a two-month period from early July to early September by more than a dozen of workers of Peoria Metro and subcontractor Mid-State Steel.  Peoria Metro employed laborers, cement masons and carpenters; while Mid-State provided several ironworkers to put in the reinforcing mesh for the lot.  The EDC managed the project for the Village to ensure compliance with the myriad laws and regulations regarding financial management, bidding and contracting and labor standards.  All the workers were paid according to the Davis-Bacon Act which is the federal prevailing wage law.