$14.5 million public works facility next big investment for Antioch
After moving into a new village hall this summer, Antioch is on a roll as it seeks to upgrade and modernize village facilities.
Officials last Friday held a community groundbreaking on a $14.5 million public works facility on the south side of North Avenue at Nelson Road as the next big project.
Site work began in October and excavation is underway. The village public works department operates out of a double-wide trailer on Haley Drive with an attached mechanic’s garage and several outbuildings.
According to the village, that met needs in the 1970s and 1980s but with rapid growth and design and site limitations, the department has outgrown the space.
Mayor Scott Gartner said the project is long overdue.
“For far too long, our public works team has been working out of a facility that simply didn’t match the level of service they provide and are expected to provide to this community,” he said.
Public Works Director Dennis Heimbrodt said the new facility will be a drastic improvement over the original 1970s building and two double-wide trailers added in the 1980s, as well as an important milestone for the village.
Features of the 43,000-square-foot facility will include proper lunch and training area, locker room, room to park the entire fleet indoors, a dedicated wash bay and four-bay maintenance shop with appropriate lifts.
When complete by November 2026 the improved facility will increase equipment longevity, operational efficiency and staff safety, he added.
“The new modern facility will significantly enhance our operations,” Heimbrodt said.
The start of that project comes on the heels of the opening at the end of August of a new and upgraded village hall at 935 Skidmore Drive.
In 2022, the village bought the former Centegra medical building and 4.3 acres of property for $1.175 million to replace its cramped and outdated longtime home at Main and Orchard streets.
The former village hall buildings and property across from the $12.5 million Sequoit Creek park, which opened in summer 2024, are available for development although no potential projects have been announced.
The repurposed and upgraded building on Skidmore is just to the south and also within the downtown area. It has better ADA accessibility and is said to require less maintenance and costly repairs than were needed at the old village hall, according to the village.
The village also is in the process of hiring a new village administrator. Police Chief Geoff Guttschow was appointed acting administrator in December 2023 and has been doing double duty.
He stepped down as administrator effective near the end of the year but will remain as chief.
The deadline for applications for the administrator position, which comes with a salary range of $185,000 to $205,000, was this past Monday.