Galesburg City Council is expected to take up a tabled item to study schematics and program designs in developing Churchill Junior High into a community center. The contract for Farnsworth Group was originally brought to the Council in March but was tabled until after a new council was to be seated. This will be the first meeting with three new Council members, all three of whom ran on Churchill not being an appropriate site for a community center. The contract would be for $76,000. If Council does approve the study the initial phase would take 8 weeks to complete, which would be followed by an additional agreement the Council would have to sign off on. The work could go out to bid as early as August and construction could begin in September. New Council considers Rescue Mission as permanent warming shelter Council will also reconsider purchasing the two Galesburg Rescue Mission buildings at E. Third St. to turn them into a permanent warming shelter, and possibly affordable housing. The Council at their last meeting tabled the issue by a 4-3 vote until this meeting which will be the first with the newly sworn-in Council. The Rescue Mission will no longer need the buildings once they moved into the former Nielson school building this summer. Council documents say that if the purchase was approved the city would look to partner with other agencies to house the homeless during the winter months. During the previous two years the winter warming shelter was held at the City's Hawthorne Gym and then at the Knox County Housing Authority's Moon Towers, also in cooperation with the Salvation Army TIF Grant for Civic Art Center The Council could also approve a TIF Grant for the Galesburg Civic Arts Center to support their ongoing renovations. The total cost of the Art Center's renovations is about $3.4 million making them eligible for about $307,000 in TIF grants which would be paid out over a 4-year period. The Galesburg Civic Art Center anticipates two full-time and one part-time jobs will be retained. When this project is completed, they anticipate creating an additional two full-time and five part-time jobs. It's anticipated the renovation will be totally complete by April 1 of 2026. More grants for Minority/Women-owned business and southside occupancy Council will vote on approving two grants; one for K & K Beauty Bar which will be located at 341 E. Main St. and specialize in nails, lashes, hair, and makeup. K&K Beauty is eligible for $5,000 in assistance. The other grant is for Nova Singers to occupy a space in the Weinberg Arcade on South Prairie Street. The non-profit is eligible for reimbursement of 1/3 of rent or up $3,200 over three years.