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Foundation center for Southeastern Illinois College opens

BY THE SOUTHERN

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 6:13 PM CDT

HARRISBURG — There’s a new official name for 540 N. Commercial St. in Harrisburg. It’s the Southeastern Illinois College Foundation Center.

The center held a grand opening and ribbon cutting last week with representatives from the SIC Foundation Board, the college, and tenants of the building present.

Just two days later, work was completed and the signage on the front of the building was revealed.

Renovation at the center has been steady since the foundation closed on the building in March. And just as steady as the renovations has been the influx of companies and citizens taking advantage of the  facility.

SIC’s Building Trades program is relocating to the facility. In addition, 15 businesses and agencies have located in the building: Boilermakers’ Union, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Jack Hendrix Accounting, Egyptian Mental Health, Logan Insurance Agency, Southeastern Pregnancy Resource Center, Habitat for Humanity, Easter Seals Resource Center, Southeastern Illinois Real Estate, Strategic Financial Services, Lutheran Social Services, Edward Jones, Curves, Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals-Mine Rescue Station, and Southeastern Illinois Electric Employees Credit Union.

The center has several classrooms and meeting facilities, as well as foyer space, that are available to the public for a rental fee. They include: the Falcon Foyer, with a capacity of 200, along with the Pyramid Room (75), the Talon Room (25) and the Foundation Center Board Room (25).

In the intervening months between the foundation’s takeover and the ribbon cutting, these rental spaces have been well used, playing host to a number of wedding receptions, meetings, seminars, parties, and a host of other activities, including dances sponsored by the Foundation on the first Thursday of each month.

SIC Foundation Director Tracey Wyatt said the building success is meeting its mission — to provide revenue that the foundation can pass on to the college.

“The Foundation Center’s business plan is structured so that it self-supports, through rents and leases,” said Wyatt. “This will generate much needed funds, for scholarships and for the college’s endeavors on the main campus, at a time when such funds are being cut from the state budget.”

The biggest event in the past six months, officials said, was the June press conference at which Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation was planning to move its Traffic Safety Division to the building, occupying just under half of the building space on its east side.

That plan is still moving forward, despite pending legal action trying to stop it. If all goes as planned, the move would provide an estimated $15 million impact on the local economy — the kind of impact that led the SIC Foundation Board to approve the purchase.

“The board made a very strong commitment to the community,” said Chair Donna Patton. “With a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand job opportunities, the Board stepped out of a comfort zone, looked at the big picture and acted quickly.”

SIC President Ray Cummiskey said, “The foundation has long been an asset to the college and its students. With the foundation center, they are expanding their mission to provide assistance to the broader community and the region as a whole.”

While the center is nearing maximum capacity for tenants, those interested in locating their business in the center, or in renting space for an event, may contact foundation secretary, Marsha Shull, at 252-5400, ext. 2125.