Greenbelt Center fees set to increase

Staging wedding receptions or other events at the Greenbelt Cultural Center near North Chicago likely will cost more after an expansion project ends this fall, according to a Lake County Forest Preserve District proposal.

The cost of renting a room for social or nonprofit gatherings would increase under the plan, which was reviewed by the forest board's education committee Monday morning. So would kitchen use, catering, ranger assistance and storage.

In all, dozens of fees are set to increase or be implemented to boost revenue at the facility, which is on Green Bay Road north of 14th Street. Some fees will decrease or stay the same.

The changes haven't been approved yet. During Monday's discussion, some committee members voiced concerns about the proposed prices and the potential impact on business, said forest board member Craig Taylor, who leads the committee.

Officials don't want to undercut other venues or set prices so high that they scare away potential customers, Taylor said.

“There's a happy medium to be struck,” said Taylor, a Lake Zurich Republican.

Forest district officials will review the proposed fees this week before asking board President Ann Maine to approve the plan, Taylor said.

“We're going to take a little more time on it... and tweak some things here and there,” he said.

The fees do not require board approval, only Maine's OK.

The $5.6 million Greenbelt expansion project began last summer. An 11,000-square-foot addition will create more space for cultural programs and events, educational areas and other amenities.

Greenbelt's operating costs had been about $370,000 a year. Those costs are expected to remain level or increase minimally due to energy efficiencies that will be implemented, such as a geothermal heating and cooling system and a green roof that will cover part of the building, said Katherine Hamilton-Smith, the district's director of cultural resources.

Annual revenues from the center had been about $100,000, according to a forest district memo. With the new fee structure, revenue will increase 40 percent to about $140,000 annually, the memo stated.

The new room-rental fees will vary based on the type of organization using the room, the day and time of day of the event and the room being used.

For example, a nonprofit group hosting a weekend event at Greenbelt now pays between $50 and $65 per hour for the privilege. Under the proposed fee structure, the charge would range from $60 to $125, depending on the space chosen.

Likewise a group of Lake County residents holding a weekday social gathering would pay between $50 and $65 for space at Greenbelt now. Under the new structure, the price would range from $40 to $115.

Storage at Greenbelt is free now but could be $25 a day for Lake County residents or groups or $40 a day for anyone else, under the plan. Kitchen use now costs $50 but would increase to $75 or $100, also depending on residency.