The Belleville Downtown Development Authority at its July 20 meeting voted unanimously to ask the Belleville Area District Library Board to keep the site for a future library in downtown Belleville.
DDA member Ken Voigt added the item to the meeting’s agenda and explained why.
“The library board is in the process of site selection and I’d like the [DDA] board to go on record to encourage them to keep the library downtown,” Voigt said.
He said he would like the DDA to send a resolution to the library board urging it to select a site downtown.
He said years ago the DDA gave money to the library for its parking lot and, “I would feel betrayed” if they selected a site out of the city now.
DDA member Mike Colletta recalled that when Congressman Bill Ford wanted to take the post office out of downtown Belleville and move it to the South I-94 Service Drive, the community fought to keep it downtown, but it moved anyway.
Voigt made the motion, seconded by Colletta to send a resolution to the district library board encouraging it “to keep the library in the downtown.”