Dist. 200 wants Hubble buyer to set aside 13 acres
Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 officials say they will encourage bidders for the old Hubble Middle School to work with the park district to use the site's green space.
The move to include such a reference in the proposed auction resolution aims to soften the blow of last week's announcement that the school district will sell the 22-acre site to the highest bidder rather than earmark it for the park district, which wanted to buy it.
Board President Andy Johnson said the contingencies in the resolution, which the board will pass at a special meeting Wednesday, will encourage a “good faith effort” to help the park district use the 13 acres that can't be developed because it's in a flood plain.
“We hope including the verbiage will comfort those who are concerned about the impact to the Wheaton Park District from the sale,” Johnson said. “The park district has said they wish to offer fair market value and we hope they will submit a bid, or perhaps team up with an interested developer.”
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the district's Special Services Center, 130 W. Park Ave. Officials say they will establish a minimum bid based on an appraisal they expect to receive before the meeting.
On Tuesday, park officials asked the school district to delay the meeting 60 days to give them time to work on a deal. Park officials say they want a level playing field with other developers, some which have been talking to the school district and expressing interest for months. A verbal request for that delay had been previously denied.
The school board announced last week that the site, which sits on the highly visible northwest corner of Roosevelt and Naperville roads, will be sold to the highest bidder after several aggressive overtures from the park district.
School officials have long been saying they wanted to sell the property and get it on the tax rolls.
Additionally, the $300,000 annual maintenance cost had become a burden.
“I, personally, am relieved to finally see this day here,” Johnson said. “We know there are developers out there who want the property. We expect much of the property will remain open and usable to the community ... It is time to do this.”
Park board President Ray Morrill said the board will discuss the sale in executive session during a meeting Wednesday and that the added contingencies are appreciated. However, he doubts they will amount to much.
“They can't mandate that to anybody,” Morrill said. “They can highly suggest it but a developer is going to do what a developer has to do to make as much money as he can make. It's a nice gesture but there is no guarantee that a developer is going to say ‘Let's turn this over to the park district.'”
Superintendent Brian Harris said he remains hopeful that the ultimate solution will include the park district.
“Everybody knows that a portion of it is in a flood plain and you can't build on it without significant work with the county or the Army Corps of Engineers,” Harris said. “We want to work collaboratively with the park district to continue to program at that site.”