Former Faith Evangelical Lutheran School acquired for new Antioch Township center
Township officials say new home will be an accessible, centralized location
Antioch Township has purchased a former school campus for a new center and will be leaving its facility on Deep Lake Road in Lake Villa.
The township this week announced it had finalized the acquisition of Faith Evangelical Lutheran School, 1275 Main St., along a main village corridor to be revitalized as a new township center.
After being hit hard by the pandemic, the congregation in June 2022 suspended the K-8 school operation. The former church fronting the property housed a preschool but hasn’t been used as a church for about 20 years.
“This remarkable opportunity enables the township to centralize all its necessary services in one facility,” township Supervisor Tom Shaughnessy said. “This consolidation will enhance the township’s operational efficiency and accessibility to the public and provide residents with various activities.”
The purchase closed on March 20. Renovations could begin as soon as May 15 while officials continue planning the new building design.
The township supervisor and clerk’s offices are located in a shared co-op site at 1625 Deep Lake Road in Lake Villa. Assessor and highway commissioner facilities are housed in separate locations in Antioch.
Shaughnessy said the goal has been to grow services while finding “a cost-effective, easily accessible, centralized location to benefit the entire community.”
The township serves all village residents and about 27,000 people overall.
A purchase price was not immediately available Thursday but the township said it would be seeking grants combined with proceeds of the co-op office buyout to help offset the cost of modernizing and repurposing older or worn spaces in the former school.
Whether or how the plans will involve the former church wasn't clear. A cost estimate for the project was not immediately available.
A request by the township to raise taxes to fund a $16.5 million combination town hall, multipurpose senior center and community hub on 12 village-owned acres at North Avenue and Nelson Road overwhelmingly was rejected by voters in November 2022.