Addison may purchase shuttered Driscoll High

Addison officials say they are "on course" to purchase the former Driscoll Catholic High School site and transform it for Addison Park District programs.

Village President Larry Hartwig said Addison and the Joliet Diocese are in negotiations for the property at 555 N. Lombard Road, which several village taxing bodies agreed to pursue last February.

"We're getting pretty close, I think," Hartwig said. "It's not like we're miles and miles apart."

The site is owned by the Diocese of Joliet and the school formerly was run by the Christian Brothers of the Midwest, which closed the 43-year-old institution last spring citing declining enrollment and financial woes.

Diocese officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Park district and village officials are exploring several possibilities for how the site might be used for open space, sports leagues and possibly a preschool program.

"We're looking very seriously at all angles," said Mark McKinnon, Addison Park District director. "At the very least it will be some more open space, which is the district's mission to preserve and maintain."

He said the district hopes to use some of the former Driscoll baseball diamonds, soccer fields and perhaps even the building. The structure, however, poses financial problems because it was built in the 1960s and needs renovations, McKinnon said.

"To remodel it requires a lot of code upgrades and changes and that would be very challenging," he said. "Cost and maintenance would be an issue and we wonder if we can generate enough revenues with cost of rentals and programs to offset that."

If the village purchases the site, Hartwig said it would lease it to the park district for $1 a year - so one taxing body does not profit from another. The district would then be responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the Driscoll property.

To pay for the site, Addison would need to borrow money and repay the bond through a property tax increase. Hartwig said he could not disclose how much Addison is willing to spend, but said taxes would increase about $20 a year for the owner of a $300,000 home. Addison does not need taxpayer permission to take out a bond because it is a home-rule community.

McKinnon said he hopes residents will be pleased with being able to use the Driscoll site again, after the disappointment many felt when the school closed.

"There's a lot of sentimental value and I think we're doing everything we can to maintain it for the community," he said.