Keota considering day care facility

KEOTA - Residents in the City of Keota could see big changes this fall if the council's plan to open a new day care center comes to fruition.

Council member Rod Hill said Libertyville Savings Bank is constructing a new building in town. Once it is completed in April, it will move from it's current location at 225 East Broadway Avenue to the new one.

After the Broadway location is vacant, the city would like to move the Wilson Memorial Library, Keota Historical Museum and City Hall inside. The building that currently houses those three businesses would then be renovated into a day care facility.

Hill said aside from the bank, there will be no new construction, just a shifting of current locations to make room for a new business in town. The timeline is not confirmed but Hill said the council is optimistic everything can be accomplished within the next six months.

'This is going to be a process and we're hoping by the start of the school year we will have everything in place,” he said.

The current library building will need to be inspected to ensure everything is up to code and ensure a day care facility can go in. If the building cannot be remodeled, he said, the council will go back to the drawing board to come up with a new plan.

Daycare is a struggle for citizens, he said, due to the lack of facility in town. A couple individuals have an in-home set up but no center or facility exists in town.

'People have been asking for it for many years and we just haven't been able to come up with anything,” he said.

Discussions first began once the bank announced its plans to build a new facility. The council began playing with concepts to find the most cost-effective way to provide for the community, he said.

Hill said because no official plans have been drawn up yet there is no estimated cost but the council is hoping to keet it minimal. Handicap accessible entrances and a new elevator are on the list for possible repairs that would be needed, he said.