Carpentersville offering tax incentives to raze former day care
Carpentersville trustees say they are willing to offer tax incentives to assist Community Unit District 300 with the demolition of a former day care site, though they decided Tuesday to defer a vote until after project bids come in.
The Algonquin-based school district acquired the Tom Thumb Community Child Care Center at 116 Carpenter Blvd. years ago in a land swap with Children's Home and Aid. The private child care agency relocated in 2015 to a new, larger facility at 229 Lake Marian Road that was previously owned by the district.
District 300 initially considered using the Tom Thumb building for other purposes, such as a community resource center or an alternative site for students facing suspensions. Officials later realized the facility was outdated and not suitable for those uses, Chief Operating Officer Susan Harkin said.
Rather than continue to pump money into maintaining the building, which has been used for storage, district officials decided to raze it and grade the site into natural landscaping. But with several other capital projects forthcoming, the district wouldn't be able to complete the project without financial assistance, Harkin said.
Carpentersville trustees on Tuesday indicated they would be willing to use tax increment financing revenue to reimburse the district for half the demolition costs. The proposed agreement capped the village's contribution at $95,000, which Trustee Diane Lawrence said appeared high.
Officials hope project bids come back lower than the estimated cost of $190,000. To avoid setting a precedent for potential contractors, the village board agreed to reconsider the measure May 1 - after bids are due to the district.
"Yes, we'd participate, but we wouldn't want to influence the bid process by approving an amount in advance," Trustee John O'Sullivan said.
In a TIF district, the property tax revenues that go to local governments are frozen at a certain level, set on a base assessed property value, for 23 years. Any taxes generated above that level can go back into redevelopment.
The former Tom Thumb center is in the village's Old Town TIF district, created in 2016. If the village board approves splitting the cost, the demolition could take place this summer, Harkin said.
Though the district has no immediate plans for the site, its location near Parkview Elementary School and the deLacey Family Education Center makes it a strong contender for future development, she said.
"We always knew the property was going to be something that would be beneficial to the district long term as an option for us," Harkin said. "That certainly could become a potential viable space for us."