SPRINGFIELD —  The Effingham County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) will soon have a new home. It doesn’t know where it will be, however.

During their meeting Thursday afternoon, IDA members voted to proceed with a lease of office space at 800-200 Towne Park East in Rincon. The IDA’s current property at 520 W. 3rd St. in Springfield is in the closing stages of a sale.

“We came out of executive session and the board voted to give me the latitude to finalize a lease with the owners (in Rincon),” IDA CEO Brandt Herndon. said. “That way, I don’t have to go back to them in thirty days and say, ‘Here’s the lease,’ because time is of the essence.”

The lease agreement fell through Monday night, Herndon said, but the IDA still intends to be in a new space by June 1. The Effingham County Chamber of Commerce, which currently shares the IDA’s Springfield building, will join the IDA in its new location.

In another move Thursday, the IDA approved a construction repair proposal for an 1,800-square-foot ranch house located on its 448-acre property off Old Augusta Road known as Grande View. The house has a leaky roof but is structurally sound.

Last month, the board approved spending up to $110,000 to repair the roof and make other improvements to make the house suitable for hosting industrial prospects and for businesses to use for cookouts and retreats.

Built South of Rincon, one of two bidders, landed the project with a $105,000 capped proposal.  It plans to leave the house’s current insulation and duct work in place, and repaint existing cabinets. Paneling will be replaced.

“It was more of a Cadillac proposal versus more of a Chevrolet proposal,” said Herndon, who suggested Built South when board members asked him for a recommendation.

 During its January meeting, the IDA briefly discussed using the house as its office before opting to go another route.

“If we were going to move there, time would be of the essence (for the repairs),” Herndon said before the vote. “If we are not, we are not pressed on time to get started. I want to get started, especially on that roof, but, you know, another thirty days, you know — I am ready to go in whatever direction you guys want to go ...”

The roof work accounted for $13,000 of Built South’s successful bid.

The IDA will have to appropriate addition funds to clean up around the house. The yard needs landscaping work and some dog pens must be removed.