College of Lake County reaches deal to prevent work stoppage on new building

College of Lake County officials have worked out a deal with the state agency in charge of overseeing state-funded projects that they hope will shield them from a second work stoppage delaying work on their new Science Building.

The CLC board of trustees approved a plan with the Illinois Capital Development Board authorizing the school to use up to $2 million from the college's operations and maintenance fund to complete the project's first phase.

Without a state budget, Facilities Director Mike Welch said, the state likely will issue a stop-work order, which would cause construction delays.

The project is expected to cost about $29.9 million, with CLC paying roughly $12.4 million and the Illinois Capital Development Board contributing around $17.5 million.

The project already has been stopped once because of the state's budget woes.

Just as work began on the Science Building in 2015, it was halted when the budget-less state stopped projects on July 1, 2015.

With no state money available, the college then had to decide how to move forward. Typically for projects like this, the state would pay its share first and the college would add its contribution later.

With time running out before winter would expose the building to the elements, CLC officials decided to use their contribution early, so work could continue. Even so, the work was halted for months when some contractors were slow to return to the project because they were afraid the money would stop and they wouldn't be paid.

The action taken by the board this week is aimed to prevent a similar delay.

Welch said officials want to get the Science Building completed during the fall semester and have it ready for classes in January 2018.

The new building will feature mechatronics and engineering laboratories, four laser and photonics labs and five chemistry labs, including one for organic chemistry. There will be two new anatomy and physiology labs, two cadaver labs, two microbiology labs, four upgraded biology labs and two general purpose classrooms.

The building already has drawn the attention of environmentalists.

Last month, it received the Emerald Award for Building Innovation from the Illinois chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council for sustainable features that include 187 solar panels, a 1,500-square-foot green roof that reduces rainwater runoff, and a living wall - 370 square feet covered with vegetation that cleans, humidifies and oxygenates indoor air.