Wheaton park officials mum om Hubble site
Wheaton Park District officials are remaining mum after learning one of their most used facilities, the former Hubble Middle School site, will be sold next month at open auction.
Executive Director Mike Benard said the park district’s offer of “fair market value” for the property still stands, although officials have not said publicly how much they think the site is worth.
He said park leaders hope to reach a deal with Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 to preserve their use of gyms and outdoor fields on the site at Roosevelt and Naperville roads.
“Our message from the last time around hasn’t changed,” Benard said Tuesday. “We are hopeful we can have a dialogue that leads to fair market value.”
Benard said he expects the park board to discuss its next step during a closed session at 7 p.m. Wednesday at city hall, 303 W. Wesley St.
At a special meeting Monday, school officials said the 22-acre site, which has been at the center of aggressive park district overtures and a 60-day sealed-bid auction, will be sold May 16 at open auction. The auction will begin with a minimum bid of $5 million.
The site includes about 13 acres that can’t be developed because they are in a flood plain.
Benard said he expects to attend the auction but is not sure if he will be “raising a paddle” to participate. He said that decision will come from the park board.
School officials hope the auction ends the ongoing saga of what used to be Wheaton Central High School and Hubble Middle School.
In January 2004, the school district chose to pursue a new building and that left the future of the old site uncertain. In November 2007, school officials said the sale of the old site would offset some of the cost of issuing bonds for the new building and voters approved a $58 million referendum request the following spring.
In December, officials announced they would sell the old site and try to get it back on the city and school district tax rolls.
The school district sought sealed bids for a minimum of $10 million but the deadline passed last week with no offers.