Kane County buys Geneva ice arena, 741 acres in Dundee Twp.
Kane County Forest Preserve commissioners put $6.3 million on ice Tuesday while also planting $40 million in the pockets of the owners of arguably the most expansive riverfront property left in the county.
The $6.3 million purchase gives ownership of the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva to the forest preserve district. The arena recently hosted an event featuring two-time U.S. figure skating champion Evan Lysacek but has been on the cusp of closing for some time.
The district got a deal on an arena that originally cost $15 million to build. The district will keep the rink in business, as well as the restaurant, pro shop and health club inside the arena. Those functions will continue to be supervised by Advanced Arenas, Inc. The district expects to bank about $300,000 a year in new income after it finishes about $750,000 in renovations.
Once complete, the forest preserve district will move into office space at the arena, leaving its current home at the Kane County Government Center.
The county would have the flexibility to move the regional superintendent of schools from the old Sixth Street School in Geneva because of the office space shuffle made possible by the purchase.
The district also spent about $40 million to purchase a 741-acre swath of land - commonly known as the Brunner Farm - that runs between Route 31 and the Fox River in Dundee Township.
The forest preserve district has coveted the property for about 20 years, but the Brunner family was not interested in selling. Over the years, the site has been discussed as a possible location for a regional bridge, a state park or a residential or commercial development.
The purchase marks the largest single land acquisition the forest preserve district has ever made. It will help connect property the district currently owns to the north and south.
"It's pretty amazing in an urban area to have such an extensive preserve," Forest Preserve Commission President John Hoscheit said.
The forest preserve commission also preserved a right to sell off any or all of the property at a future date, most likely a piece of property west of Route 31. However, commissioners who spoke about the project said the purchase was possibly the best acquisition the commission will ever make, and they would be very hesitant to vote to sell any of the site at any point.