Libertyville trustee candidates weigh in on Sports Complex

Since it opened nearly seven years ago, the Libertyville Sports Complex has not performed up to expectations.

After years of disappointing returns, village officials put the land occupied by the golf learning and family entertainment centers up for sale for potential development. But what of the indoor sports center, the well-used and most successful portion of the operation?

The Daily Herald asked the six candidates running for three seats on the village board for their opinions.

Incumbents include Luke Lukens, who is seeking a third term; Bob Peron, who is seeking a second term; and Barry Reszel, appointed last year to fill a vacancy.

They're being challenged by Richard A. Moras, a financial adviser; James "Jay" Justice, a retired hospital executive and former village plan commissioner and zoning board of appeals chairman; and business owner Todd Gaines.

Generally, candidates agreed the indoor portion of the complex could be sold to a private operator, but wanted it to retain the same use.

Figures supplied by the village show the complex in the red for 2009-10. Revenue is estimated at $2.8 million compared with about $4.5 million in expenses, about half of which is debt service on bonds used to build the facility.

Reszel said the sports complex is run "significantly better" than other facilities and returns about 85 percent of expenses.

"The Sports Complex is a terrific asset, as big an asset as any park and we don't ask the parks to pay for themselves," he said. If it were to be sold it should remain in the same use, he added.

He said he would prefer to see the adjacent land remain for recreational use but if those two pieces are sold it would be an opportunity to pay down the debt and allow the village to treat the indoor portion as an asset rather than an albatross.

Peron said he favored keeping the sports center but if somebody made a great offer it would have to be considered.

"It was proposed to pay for itself. It doesn't," he said. "Taxpayers should not take a loss for that building."

He said that with the right development, the sale of the two pieces will allow the village to lower the debt and generate property and sales tax while spurring other development nearby.

Moras described the sports complex as a great facility, but said public funds should not be used there.

"Should it be privatized? Absolutely," he said. "We shouldn't be in competition with the private sector."

He said any private sale must cover the full amount of the debt but "it is not clear whether that is the case today or not."

Gaines said the village needs to better market the facility and wouldn't want the satisfaction level of patrons to drop if it were taken over by a private operator.

"I wouldn't short sale it but if an offer was there, you'd have to consider it," he said.

He said any sale would have to be beneficial to the village and taxpayers.

Justice said he supports the sale of the indoor sports center to a private party. He also supported the sale of the Family Entertainment Center provided the intended use compliments the balance of the Sports Complex property and any proceedings are used to pay off bonds.

He said he did not support the sale of the Golf Learning Center, which includes a heated driving range, because the village has not put forth its best effort to make it profitable.

Lukens said the indoor sports center is a "phenomenal facility" and shouldn't be sold just for the sake of selling it. He said he would entertain the idea of leasing it back to an interested developer, however.

Proceeds from the sales of the other parcels should be used to repay existing bonds, he added.