Naperville council to vote Tuesday on museum deal

Acting under what they call intense pressure from Chase Bank, Naperville councilmen are expected to vote Tuesday to acquire the DuPage Children's Museum, just six days after word of the possible deal became public.

Under the proposed acquisition announced Wednesday, the financially troubled museum will be freed from its existing debt but have to operate without the city's Special Events & Cultural Amenities funding support.

The proposal includes at least five layers of funding. The city will put in $3 million. The state will put in $1.94 million, consisting partially of funds pooled from Reps. Darlene Senger, Michael Connelly and Patti Bellock's member initiatives. DuPage County has promised $250,000 and private donors have pledged between $750,000 and $1 million. The remainder is expected to come from a $3.21 million write down by Chase Bank, which holds the museum's $9.4 million note.

"We've got a time limit to adhere to because the bank is breathing down our necks for holding off until next week's council meeting. They want this off their books," Councilman Kenn Miller said Thursday. "I've heard the discussion about how bad it looks for us to rush this through and I've been the one challenging to have more time because I knew what the reaction would be. But the bottom line is the alternative won't be good for anyone because the whole thing could fall apart and we could lose an asset to the city."

Councilman Grant Wehrli, who has been the only vocal opponent of the deal, said rushing to squeeze the agreement in Tuesday to meet a bank deadline is a travesty.

"I would love to see us have more deliberation on the topic but there is no doubt in my mind that someone will call this for a vote," Wehrli said Thursday. "And those who support it have an apparent lack of fiduciary responsibility. It's borderline dereliction of duties."

City officials say the museum parcel at 301 N. Washington St., the northern gateway to downtown, is a strategic piece to the landlocked city's redevelopment puzzle.

If the museum can survive without the weight of a heavy mortgage and an annual $350,000 donation from the city, it will continue to be a colorful, welcoming amenity, officials say. If it continues to struggle, some councilmen say the facility eventually could be shuttered and possibly replaced with a parking deck.