Split forest board hires construction manager for controversial project

The Lake County Forest Preserve District board on Tuesday hired a company to oversee construction of a $23 million operations and public safety building, but not without opposition.

Seven commissioners voted against hiring MTI Construction Services of Elgin to serve as the project's construction manager. All the foes were among the group that last month unsuccessfully voted against proceeding with the building plan, which calls for a roughly 104,000-square-foot facility in the Fourth Lake Forest Preserve near Lindenhurst.

Thirteen commissioners voted for the estimated $1.4 million deal with MTI, enough for it to pass.

The proposed building will serve as headquarters for the district's ranger police force, habitat restoration and construction crews, the Youth Conservation Corps and other operations.

Many of those departments now are based at the Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda or other sites in the county.

It's the largest construction project in district history, said Mike Fenelon, the district's director of planning, conservation and development. Officials said they hope work will begin this summer and be completed in 2010.

The project's ticket price was one factor that prompted opposition. Initially, it was expected to cost $10 million to $12 million, but officials announced in September it would be more expensive.

Five construction-management companies applied for the job last year, but selection was put on hold after the financial estimates came in, Fenelon said.

The construction manager will work independently of the project's architect and oversee the progress so district staffers won't have to, Fenelon said.

Forest board member Stevenson Mountsier, who leads the board's finance committee, called the contract with MTI a "wise business decision."

Commissioner Bob Sabonjian said he opposed the deal because MTI had previously worked with the project's architect. A company without such a relationship would be more likely to be tough when needed, he reasoned.

"I really want somebody who's a complete outsider and who comes in fresh," said Sabonjian of Waukegan.

Joining Sabonjian in voting against the contract Tuesday were: Steve Carlson of Gurnee; Ann B. Maine of Lincolnshire; Diana O'Kelly of Mundelein; Brent Paxton of Zion; Suzi Schmidt of Lake Villa; and Randy Whitmore of Wadsworth.

The contract will include an amendment proposed at Tuesday's meeting by Commissioner Pam Newton of Long Grove. Newton wanted MTI to meet environmentally friendly building standards when economically feasible. No one objected.