Board of Developmental Disabilities considering sale of one building

One of two Lawnview buildings operated by the Champaign County Board of Developmental Disabilities may be sold.

The board is considering selling the Lawnview Industries building at 1250 E. U.S. Route 36, where the board’s operational offices and the adult developmental disabilities day program are housed.

“We have the impression that it won’t be difficult to sell this building,” said Laura Zureich, Board of Developmental Disabilities superintendent of the 35,283-square-foot structure.

Zureich declined to state the appraised value of the property and building, adding the board is in the beginning of the process for a possible sale. She said beyond having the County Commission approve the possible sale, the board needed to pass a resolution and the state board of developmental disabilities also has to give its blessing.

The County Commission passed a resolution April 9 authorizing the sale of the building and authorizing the DD board to use sale proceeds to renovate the Lawnview Child and Family Center at 2200 S. U.S. Route 68.

The county owns both properties, Zureich said, which is why the commissioners are involved. The developmental disabilities board maintains and operates both buildings.

Zureich added the board does not plan to sell the child and family center, because the community identifies that location as the organization’s home.

“That one is incredibly important for us to maintain,” she said. “Our identification in the community is primarily through that site, and we definitely want to maintain that.”

Further, Zureich said the child and family center is the better-maintained building, having upgraded heating and cooling and newer windows, thanks to a grant.

Zureich did not have a time frame for when the building may be put up for sale, adding the board is just beginning the process.

Zureich said if the Lawnview Industries building is sold, the board’s operational offices and the adult developmental disabilities day program will be moved to the child and family center. If operations are moved, it is estimated to save the developmental disabilities board approximately $180,000 annually in building operation costs, she said.

The move would not mean a loss of jobs, she added. Zureich said that some staff members are expected to retire, and it is unlikely the board will fill those vacancies.

“The bottom line for us is we want to be as cost-efficient as we can be without doing anything that changes our service structure to support people with developmental disabilities,” she said. “If there are ways we can save money, not go back to the community and ask for additional dollars and continue to serve people without changing the service structure, that’s always our goal. This is a direction that will help us do that and still maintain a building that is very important to our community.”