Lombard backs Montini expansion

A unanimous Lombard village board Thursday night paved the way for Montini Catholic High School's long-range plans for the campus.

Trustees endorsed the school's redevelopment plans by approving a pre-annexation agreement for the site at 16th Street and Westmore-Meyers Road.

"I tell everybody they're already in Lombard. It's such a great school," Village President William Mueller said. "It's an honor and a pleasure to have Montini Catholic in the village of Lombard."

Per the pact, Lombard will honor the school's envisioned three-phased redevelopment plans. Those include some changes already being reviewed by DuPage County officials.

The first phase involves razing one 18,000-square-foot building adjacent to the main school and replacing it with a 32,000-square-foot one-story structure, Montini President Jim Segredo said.

The new building would include a new administration center, guidance and athletic offices, reception area, learning resource center with computer laboratory, six new science labs and washrooms.

Administrators hope the estimated $4.5 million project will get under way in the spring and be complete in September, Segredo said.

Facilities housed in the old building will be temporarily relocated to other locations in the main school building, he added.

"We're going to be in a little tighter quarters," Segredo said.

If all goes well, including fundraising, the second phase would start in four years and the final phase in 2016.

Those future plans entail a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system in the main building and renovations to the school's private power plant.

School leaders also aim to renovate and add onto the front of the main school building to match the addition proposed in phase one. It would feature a student activity center, new music classrooms and performance rooms, as well as a fitness center.

And, eventually, the school would like to replace the football field grass with turf and install lights around the stadium.