DuPage County commissioners expected to vote on Lucent property

Expect a showdown tonight among DuPage County Forest Preserve commissioners over the fate of a property on Lisle's northwest border.

District leaders are expected to vote on buying roughly 58 acres of land north of the distinctive Alcatel-Lucent building on Warrenville Road.

Owned by Lucent, the property is adjacent to Danada Forest Preserve and contains woods, restored prairie and athletic fields. It could cost up to $25 million. Also seeking the site are developers envisioning big-box stores there.

While Lisle Mayor Joseph Broda has asked the district to reconsider, saying that retail would help the tax base, it looks like a majority of officials endorse the purchase, saying it will be a significant addition to Danada.

"The people from Lisle have to do what's best for the people of Lisle," forest district President Dewey Pierotti said. "I represent all the people of DuPage County."

One environmental leader backing the plan is The Conservation Foundation Executive Director Brook McDonald. "It's a ready-made forest preserve," he said.

But some commissioners are balking. The district in 2006 won voter approval to borrow $68 million to buy open space. The money would be better put toward acquiring 200 acres next to vulnerable wetlands at West Branch Forest Preserve near Bartlett, they argue.

That land, speculated to cost $20 million is "a lot more open space for the dollar," Commissioner Roger Kotecki said.

Should the Lucent deal move forward, the forest preserve will likely partner with the Wheaton Park District to coordinate use of the athletic fields. Park Executive Director Mike Benard confirmed the district is interested in using the site for youth athletic programs. "We're growing faster than we can accommodate," he said.