Work resumes in bankrupt Antioch subdivisions
Most people groan when road construction crews invade their neighborhood.
Jackhammers pounding concrete, backhoes dumping mounds of dusty soil. The work never fails to disrupt the serenity in a subdivision.
But residents in Antioch's NeuHaven and Clublands neighborhoods might be glad to see the guys in the orange vests these days.
Contracted by the Village of Antioch, workers have been out in force making infrastructure improvements nearly 16 months after the developer Neumann Homes filed for bankruptcy.
Neumann had finished half of the 1,400 homes it was supposed to build in those subdivisions near Route 173 and Savage Road when its bankruptcy was filed Nov. 1, 2007. The business failure left the neighborhoods in various states of disrepair, including many unfinished homes.
"We are way ahead of other Neumann Homes projects in terms of completing infrastructure repairs," said Antioch Trustee Dennis Crosby on Monday. "We immediately hired a specialist lawyer in real estate bankruptcy when Neumann went bankrupt and have been able to secure the funds for the work."
Spending nearly $875,000 secured from the developer's surety bonds, the village hired contractors to repave streets, repair curbs and gutters, and make other improvements in two of three planned phases, Crosby said. Additional savings have been seen since the village is acting as the general contractor for the work.
Money for the final phase is still pending as the case continues its way through bankruptcy court.
Homeowners are still waiting for work to be completed at a couple of parks and for landscaping projects. Residents will get updated details at a homeowner's association meeting on Tuesday night at the Antioch Township Hall.
Antioch is not alone in dealing with the fallout from the bankruptcy. The once-booming developer's financial problems led to work going unfinished in North Aurora, while Lakemoor was left in the lurch on road paving. Neumann also didn't finish projects in Grayslake and Gilberts.
Crosby said there are just a handful of unfinished homes left in the neighborhoods in Antioch. Those are being marketed and will hopefully be sold and occupied soon.
A resident of the Clublands development himself, Crosby said he understands how frustrating things have been. But depending on weather, most of the work in the first two phases should be done in a matter of weeks.
"We've tried to minimize the impact of this unfortunate situation," Crosby said. "We've done a good job communicating through the village Web site, periodic meetings and letters. We're making good progress now."