Carpentersville public works building plans powering on

The new public works facility in Carpentersville could be operational within 18 months and is expected to remain on budget and on schedule.

Mark Bushhouse, president of Carol Stream-based Williams Architects, updated the village board Tuesday on the progress of the $12 million building.

The firm has completed the schematic design of the 100,000-square-foot single-story building near the intersection of Wilmette and Cleveland avenues on the village's east side, and Bushhouse said bidding on the project would start in July with an early September groundbreaking forecast.

"The staff has been diligent in making sure we don't have any items that we don't need, but still have a functional and durable facility," said Bushhouse, who added the building would be energy-saving and strong once completed.

With bidding expected to begin in the coming months, board members made it clear they would like to see a number of local contractors involved with the project. Village President Ed Ritter and Trustee Paul Humpfer asked Bushhouse and Williams Construction Management President Thomas Tristano if there was a way to guarantee a percentage of Carpentersville-based contractors were awarded bids.

Historically, Bushhouse said, local contractors make up about 20 percent of the work force on a project manager venture.

"So there is a possibility that no one from Carpentersville could be working on this?" Humpfer said.

Bushhouse said while the company does encourage local contractors, the winning bids are the most responsible bids.

The new facility, planned for a 24-acre site the village owns near the water treatment facility in the Old Town area, would house the village's public works staff, vehicles and other equipment.

A space-needs study completed in 2005 indicated the department needed about 142,000 square feet to operate effectively. The current 9,000-square-foot public works facility houses 30 full-time employees with space to store 14 vehicles inside. The department owns 76 vehicles and other pieces of equipment.

The village board chose to eliminate a second level that could be transformed into office space in the future to ensure the cost remains below $12 million. Village officials have said a $20 million bond would be needed to finance the construction.

About $12 million would be spent on the facility, with the remainder buffering the village's capital improvement program to fix streets and sidewalks.

Facility: New building will house staff and vehicles