Mount Prospect to discuss green gateway on former automotive site

Aiming to create a gateway plaza into its downtown, Mount Prospect plans to transform a former automotive repair site at Central Road and Northwest Highway into a green space with a clock tower.

But first, the village board Tuesday will discuss details like cost, concepts and a construction timeline. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at village hall.

The cost is estimated at nearly $1.1 million to restore the space. The village is expected to award a construction contract for demolition and restoration next month. The work is slated to begin in June.

The plaza will feature native plantings, trees, shrubs, turf and seasonal flowers. Plans call for a small amount of brick sidewalk and six new public parking spaces.

The clock tower will serve as the architectural centerpiece. Village staff recommends spending nearly $260,000 for a structure manufactured by the Verdin Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, which has been making clocks and bells since 1842. The clock tower would include aluminum bells and a carillon bell sound system.

Trustees voted in May to spend $800,000 from the Prospect and Main Tax Increment Financing District to purchase the former Formula Auto Repair property at 310 W. Northwest Highway. The village took possession in November.

The village still has to tie up some environmental loose ends. The property’s half-century history as a gas station and repair shop has left a legacy of soil contamination from gasoline, waste oil and hydraulic fluids.

Both the village and the former owner are seeking a clearance form the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to use the site as a passive gateway plaza that does not pose a significant risk to health or the environment.

Village staff expects IEPA approval by the end of the month.