TAYLORVILLE — When Palmer Bank relocated its Taylorville office on Webster Street just down the road to the corner of Webster and Park streets, bank officials donated part of the land left behind to the city, rather than selling it.
This land is now being used to construct a new road leading from Illinois 29 to Taylorville Memorial Hospital, giving hospital patients, visitors and emergency vehicles safer access.
The project arose from discussions among James Hahn, CEO of Palmer Bank, Dan Raab, CEO of Taylorville Memorial Hospital, and city officials, Hahn said.
“Dan Raab was talking about the need for new entrance,” he said. “We were talking about it coming off of (Illinois) 29. I said the bank would look to donate ground for that street. It went from there to getting the city involved and planning for the addition. So it all grew from talking about the needs and what would be better for the community.”
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The first Taylorville Memorial Hospital facility was south of the Taylorville Square more than 100 years ago, Raab said, and when the current site was built in 1954, it was on the outskirts of town.
“But it has since been surrounded by a neighborhood, and to the north are two schools,” he said. “We have had dense traffic issues for years because of the junior high and elementary school (nearby). We wanted to improve the safety and reduce congestion near the schools by creating an option for our employees, patients, visitors and others to come to the new facility and not have to traverse through a neighborhood.”
East Wilson Street will run about 750 feet from Webster/ Illinois 29 to the new front door of the hospital, Raab said.
The first phase of the road project is complete, which was the asphalt surface itself. It is four lanes and, when finished, will have an intersection with traffic lights and a turn lane.
“We anticipate it to be done by late spring or early summer,” Raab said.
Mayor Greg Brotherton commended Palmer Bank for donating the land for the new road. The city put in a storm sewer line along the road, and the rest of the work was bid out to subcontractors. The road will be a welcome change for most of the city and even out-of-town visitors, he said.
“It makes it so much more accessible; it’s not only a better way to greet new people coming to the hospital but also from a safety point of view — emergency vehicles and ambulances can get there much more quickly and efficiently,” Brotherton said. “When seconds count, this is a way to trim some seconds off.”
The design of the new road was done by engineering firm Homer L. Chastain & Associates of Decatur, Raab said.
“We’re anticipating at least 75 percent of our traffic will be rerouted from our traditional path,” he said. “We will be effectively able to shift the traffic volume to the new access road, away from the schools and houses in our neighborhood. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
Donating the land for the building of the road is just one of many ways that Palmer Bank gives back to the community, Hahn said, and bank officials are pleased that the land will be used in such a beneficial way for Taylorville residents.
“We own the ground, and we believe, as financial institution, that it was important to be a good corporate citizen,” Hahn said. “We knew it would be good for the community, so that’s what we did. We feel like it’s important that we share and give back to the community.”
