Agreement is good deal for Mundelein

The Editorial Board’s opinion on the proposed Ivanhoe Village development echoes the narrative of local school boards and a few state reps. Instead of raising false alarms over a standard process, let’s look at the facts.

This is a $2 billion investment in Mundelein — an opportunity we aren’t in a position to pass up. Anyone informed can see that.

Rather than collaborating on a project benefiting everyone, some seem intent on holding the developers hostage for an additional $100 million or more, more than any developer has paid in impact fees. This approach risks a stalemate.

Concerns were raised that Ivanhoe Village might flood the districts with families overnight. But this is a 25-year phased buildout with caps on new homes per year, a far cry from “heavy new demands,” on schools or infrastructure. Instead, it’s an opportunity to grow without drawing from the village’s coffers.

And it isn’t just about housing. This will bring more small and large businesses, jobs, tax revenue and economic activity.

Ivanhoe Village won’t devastate taxpayers, as the editorial suggests. New homeowners will expand the tax base, creating a net positive for schools and covering the districts’ projections of added student enrollment.

And while the school board asks the public to take those projections in good faith, it refuses to extend the same trust to the developer’s pledge to revisit fees once impacts can be measured.

As the mayor stated, a negotiation took place and an agreement was reached. Changing the rules now does not erase that decision.

Remember, these are private developers not obligated to see this through. If forced to shoulder $112 million in unsubstantiated fees, they may walk away and keep the property as a family farm. And who could blame them?

Let's not kill this deal and send the message Mundelein is closed for business.

Bill Shiner

Mundelein