Carol Stream parks will pay village $1.6 million for rec center

Carol Stream Park District has entered into what Executive Director Arnie Biondo called an "agreement in principle" that would clear the way for the construction of a recreation center on the south side of Town Center near Gary Avenue and Lies Road.

The park district will pay the village $1.6 million for six acres west of Gary, north of apartments on Klein Creek Court and south of Fountain View Drive. Attorneys for both sides will now work together to draw up a legal intergovernmental agreement to formalize the deal, which comes around five months after negotiations for the land began.

An appraisal of the land done by the village placed its value at between $1.2 million and $1.6 million. The park district's appraisal came in at about $2.1 million. Officials said they met in the middle.

"The focus for both boards has always been to do what's best for the community," Biondo said.

The deal at long last gives the park district a place to build its recreation center. The two entities have been in negotiations since voters approved a $37 million referendum proposal in February.

The crown jewel of that referendum is expected to be the rec center, which officials have estimated will cost between $17 million and $20 million.

Officials hope to bid the project in March or April 2011 then break ground a couple of months later. If things go as planned, the grand opening would be in September 2013.

The timeline was slightly delayed by the negotiations, officials said. One board member said construction prices are at their best right now and he hoped the delay could be made up in the board's aggressive timeline.

"I want to take advantage of economic conditions," board member Brian Sokolowski said during the meeting. "I want to be greedy here. Prices are going to shoot up, and we are going to be left holding the bag."

In surveys distributed in 2004 and again in 2008, many residents indicated Town Center as their preferred location for the facility.

"The village has been very good to us throughout the whole process," said board President Tim Powers, who was part of the district's negotiating team along with board member Dan Bird. "We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with them." In an interview Monday afternoon, Mayor Frank Saverino said he was comfortable with the agreement.