A portion of Grant Avenue will be named “Panther Way” after Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

Grant Avenue, from University Drive to Fourth Street, will now have a sign above the street sign that reads “Panther Way.”

“This is not renaming the street, but an honorary naming, no one’s address will change,” Mayor John Inyart said.

According to the resolution that was passed for this signage, this will promote the economic and natural relationship between Eastern and the city of Charleston.

Ryan Gilmore, director of marketing and promotions for Eastern athletics, said this project has been in the works for a year, since the new athletic administration came into office last summer.

“Now, as our fans come up to the games, they will have more of a feel of coming to an event to with school spirit and to support the teams,” Gilmore said. “It’s a real positive step forward between the city and the university.”

Inyart said they are looking into manufacturing the signs for sale out of the Martin Luther King, Jr. University Union Bookstore.

In other business, two bid awards were approved to the lowest bidder for street materials and seal coat for the city streets.

Ne-Co Asphalt was the low bidder for the seal coat at $103,713.

The low bidders for the street materials were Ne-Co Asphalt, Charles Heuerman Trucking and Charleston Ready Mix, Mid-Illinois Concrete.

The materials include concrete mix and rock to be used through out the year to do patch work throughout the city, Inyart said.

A resolution was passed to allow expenditures from the tourism fund to cover the expenses for the East Central Illinois Farm Equipment Show on July 17 to 19 at the Coles County Fair Grounds.

Before the meeting started, a moment of silence was held by the council and the audience to reflect on the late Scott Lindecker.

Lindecker was a Charleston police officer that was found dead in his apartment on Sunday, June 7.

Two items were removed from the agenda in hopes of being addressed at the next city council meeting.

The items included a resolution to allow a line of credit for Carnegie Public Library as well as an ordinance for conceptual proposal for Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center Prairie Pavilion.

Kayleigh Zyskowski can be reached at 581-7943 or at kzyskowski@eiu.edu.

By David Thill

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