Mundelein breaks ground for new public works and engineering complex
Submitted by the village of Mundelein
In an effort to consolidate all of the public works and engineering into one centralized location and to relocate existing public works offices and facilities out of the downtown area, the village of Mundelein officially broke ground on construction of a new $23 million public works and engineering complex at 801 Allanson Road, west of Washington Street.
The new facility is on a 21-acre site, which includes all public works and engineering functions such as maintenance, vehicle storage, road materials storage and administrative offices.
Part of the facility will use an existing 26,000-square-foot office building formerly occupied by Natus Medical, a medical manufacturing company. This new location replaces three facilities which were geographically separated and functionally obsolete, thus streamlining operations and allowing for more efficient service delivery.
"We are very pleased to officially begin construction on this state-of-the-industry public works and engineering complex," said Adam Boeche, director of Public Works and Engineering Department. "This project transitions us out of three of downtown properties, making way for more appropriate use. It is very exciting to be involved in the single largest project in Mundelein's history."
In 2018, Mundelein purchased the 3-acre Natus Medical property in anticipation of this long-range plan for the complex. The site will be combined with an adjoining 17-acre village-owned property. Repurposing the Natus building instead of erecting something entirely new will save money.
In addition to remodeling the office building, an equipment storage building, a salt storage building and a fueling station will be built. Anticipated completion date is summer 2020.
According to Mundelein officials, funding will come from a loan and water and sewer revenue. Neither property tax rates nor utility rates will increase beyond current levels, because loans that funded the construction of the Mundelein Police Headquarters and the Mundelein Fire Department's headquarters about 20 years ago will be paid off this year.
Key Features of the New Public Works and Engineering Complex Include:
• 21-acre site
• Nearly three acres of covered storage
• 26,000-square-foot office space for 43 employees
• 76,000-square-foot garage space storing 85 pieces of equipment
• On-site salt building for storing 3,000 tons of salt
• On-site fueling station for all village vehicles
• New vehicle maintenance shop with six bays and three lifts
• Construction of a 1 million gallon detention pond to hold stormwater
"Modern public works and engineering facilities are models of efficiency. We are very enthusiastic about this project and we feel confident this complex is positioned to serve the community well and is poised for future growth," Mayor Steve Lentz said.
CTS Group has been hired to be the performance contractor and the construction manager of the multimillion dollar project. CTS Group is an energy services company that specializes in developing and implementing turnkey, comprehensive energy efficiency projects. Their team of professionals are dedicated to providing innovative energy-efficient solutions that lead to a more comfortable and healthy environment. CTS Group's team of seasoned professionals consistently demonstrate technical and managerial competence to design and implement projects that use multiple technologies.
According to CTS Group's Mission Statement, the company is "committed to providing exceptional and innovative technology and solutions to improve comfort, safety, and energy efficiency in the education, government, health care, industrial, and commercial markets in a rewarding environment for all CTS employees while being a responsible corporate citizen."
The current public works headquarters is at 440 E. Crystal St., on the southern end of Mundelein's downtown district. Additional public works offices are elsewhere in town. Mundelein officials want to leave the Crystal Street compound to free up the land for redevelopment.
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