photo by: Photo courtesy of Dobski & Associates

Heartland Community Health Center plans to renovate and move into the space currently occupied by Anderson Rentals at the intersection of Sixth and Michigan streets.

City leaders have approved sales and property tax breaks for a building renovation that will allow for the expansion of a nonprofit health care provider.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to approve an incentives request from Alcove Development/T&M Properties LLC to redevelop the property at 1312 W. Sixth St. into the new location of Heartland Community Health Center.

“This is the type of project, obviously, that I think is going to be extremely beneficial to our community, so it just makes sense that we move forward with this request,” Commissioner Lisa Larsen said.

The city approved $6.5 million in industrial revenue bonds, which will allow for a sales tax exemption on construction materials and labor, and a 10-year property tax abatement on the additional property value added by the redevelopment.

The clinic is currently operating out of a 12,000-square-foot building at 346 Maine St., and Heartland CEO Robyn Coventon said that building is at capacity. Heartland has historically played a big role in providing health care to uninsured and low-income residents, and the move to a larger space is expected to give Heartland more room to provide services for both uninsured and insured patients.

“It is a community development project,” Coventon said. “We have an impact.”

City Commission 12/1/20