McHenry County College facilty plan moving forward

As McHenry County College’s facility master plan moves forward, the college also cleared a legal hurdle in its quest to use eminent domain to acquire 20 acres north of the Crystal Lake campus.

The property at 9010 Northwest Highway, which belongs to GHM Trust, was tied up in the bankruptcy case of William J. Gilger, a member of the trust. The college deems the land crucial to future expansion plans.

MCC attorney Dan Curran said a stay on the property was lifted in bankruptcy court last month. The week of Oct. 24, the college filed a complaint in McHenry County Circuit Court for condemnation of the property.

However, it will likely be about a year before the matter goes to trial, Curran said. “We’ll ask the court to determine the fair value for the property,” he said.

In the spring, MCC made a $750,000 offer to buy the 20 acres based on two property appraisals. When negotiations fell through, MCC decided to acquire it through condemnation.

“It took four months to get it out of bankruptcy,” MCC President Vicky Smith said. “This is the process we hoped to start four months ago.”

Wight & Co., of Darien, which the college contracted to design its facility master plan, will conduct a special workshop for board members at 6 p.m. Thursday prior to the 7 p.m. board meeting.

“They have been having workshops with students, staff, faculty, and the community. It will be the same process with the board of trustees ... so architects of that company can get a feel for what the board wants,” Smith said.

Wight & Co. is scheduled to present three design proposals for the facility master plan at a special session before the Dec. 14 board meeting.