Carol Stream voters may have their say on Aldrin renovations

Carol Stream Park District officials are considering the possibility of asking voters for permission to refinance existing debt to pay for renovations to a community center in Armstrong Park.

Board President Dan Bird said the park district is making the renovation of the roughly 40-year-old Aldrin Community Center a priority in the coming year.

"We feel it's our obligation to do something with it," Bird said Wednesday. "Whether portions of the building become a storage area or will be converted into multi-use space … that's all part of the next conversations we plan to have."

Bird said the park board may ask voters through a referendum to borrow money by extending the life of some of the district's bonds to pay for any upgrades. Refinancing existing debt could keep the park district's property tax rate from increasing.

Parks officials haven't set any date for pursuing a ballot measure. Bird said the park board isn't likely to seek the request during the November general election.

Two weeks ago, representatives of Carol Stream-based Williams Architects presented the park board with several options on how to rehab the aging facility.

The building mainly is occupied by the district's administrative offices. There also is space for various community and park district meetings.

Few parks programs have been scheduled for the site since the park district shuttered Collins pool in 2006 after leaks were discovered on the aging indoor pool's deck.

Much of the building sits on flood-prone property, which officials said limits their ability to expand on the site. Still, the park district's architects suggested the building could be renovated into a two-story structure with options such as a gymnasium, indoor track, fitness rooms and office space.

"I don't think it's pie-in-the-sky thinking," park board member Brian Sokolowski said. "We can certainly put (a renovation plan) together without a tax increase."

Parks officials have no concrete timetables for when they'd consider renovating Aldrin or how much such a project would cost.

Bird said he hopes to have rough estimates on the Aldrin renovations ready for the park board to review by its next meeting Feb. 25.