Mayor candidate: Hubble price too high

A mayoral challenger says the $10 million minimum bid Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 is seeking for the former Hubble Middle School site is too high and will keep developers from pursuing the property.

Councilman John Prendiville, who is challenging Mayor Mike Gresk in Wheaton’s April 5 election, said he doesn’t expect any bids during the 60-day, sealed auction.

“I just can’t see banks or developers buying it for that amount,” said Prendiville, who advocates selling the property to the park district. “I can’t see anybody paying for that property.”

Prendiville made the comments during a Daily Herald endorsement interview.

The school district will not accept bids until March 1 but officials say there have been several inquiries since they put the site up for auction last week.

Superintendent Brian Harris said the minimum bid is based on an unbiased appraisal of the site.

“My bottom line is that any property is only worth what someone is willing to pay,” Harris said. “The appraisal is what it is. It’s a guess.”

Harris said the district is committed to selling the property, even if no bids come in.

In the past, Prendiville has drawn the ire of school officials for saying the 22-acre property is worth next to nothing to developers because 13 acres are on a flood plain and cannot be developed.

Meanwhile, Gresk praised school officials Wednesday for pursuing their original plan to sell the property to get it back on the tax rolls.

“The benefits we would gain far outweigh keeping it as it is,” Gresk said. “It’s a business-savvy decision on the part of the school district.”

The park district has used part of the site for decades and a large portion of the building since the former Wheaton Central High School became Hubble Middle School in 1992. In December of 2009, the park district increased its use after the district built a new Hubble in Warrenville.

Park officials hope to keep the site and tried to work out a deal with the school district. However, those efforts were spurned and an appraisal set the land’s value at $10 million.

The school district opened the auction last week and will open bids April 14. Park officials have said they continue to weigh their options.

Harris said the school district continues to hope the ultimate solution involves the park district.