Crowd told Hubble plan crucial for city, residents

Much of Andrew Johnson's work in the next few months will entail bringing residents living in Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 up to speed on a $58 million plan to build a new Hubble Middle School.

Voters will be asked via referendum on Feb. 5 for permission and funds to build at a new site on Herrick Road.

Should voters reject that request, Johnson, the district's school board president, told an audience Thursday that District 200 will put another referendum on the ballot next November.

"If it doesn't pass (in November) then we have other problems," he said.

Johnson took several questions Thursday about the district's plans for the referendum and school building.

Talk of the new Hubble Middle School and the city of Wheaton's plans to redevelop the current school site into a retail area seemed to punctuate much of Thursday's annual state of the city address hosted by the League of Women Voters of Wheaton.

In addition to Johnson, Mayor Michael Gresk and Wheaton Park District board President Dave Blankenship spent the evening detailing the highlights of their respective agencies' last year.

Prior to Thursday's meeting, attendees were able to peruse five proposed designs for the commercial development that sat on a nearby table.

Gresk told the audience the school site wasn't likely to come under a tax increment financing district meant to lure development on the site. He made no secret of his desire to see the property redeveloped.

"The Hubble development would be a shot in the arm," Gresk said. "The important thing to remember is we have an opportunity to develop sources of revenue not based on residential property taxes."

Should the district fail to get voter approval to build a new Hubble Middle School, Johnson reminded the audience that the school board contingency plan would involve spending up to three years and $60 million to renovate the current site.

He warned the alternative proposal would disrupt student life, and would keep the city of Wheaton from reaping any tax windfall from redevelopment of the property at Roosevelt and Naperville roads.

"On Feb. 5, you all have the ability to decide on that" plan, Johnson said.

School board members voted unanimously last month to place the referendum on the February ballot.