DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — The city of Decatur is releasing new details about a city project helping fund a new daycare facility in Decatur's urban core.
A local daycare owner was awarded $250,000, in federal grant money, to transform the former Wee Folks Daycare into a modern day facility.
But the Decatur City Council learned Monday, the project cost has ballooned to $750,000.
"Our estimates were wildly off, not just a little, like wildly off, and I've just got some real concerns making sure that they're going to be more off," Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said during the meeting.
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City Manager, Scot Wrighton, said he had hoped the facility would be grandfathered, in when it came to code compliance, because the facility had only been closed for a few years. The cost to get the business up to code is now much higher than Wrighton, and Community Development Director Cordaryl Patrick, anticipated.
"The building will require, per the fire code, for the building to be sprinkled now — and it's also going to require an HVAC system," Patrick said.
In addition to ballooning costs, the project is behind schedule. The new estimated opening date is set for the summer of 2024.
Click here to learn more about the project.
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