MCC adds more land to campus

On April 28, McHenry County College completed the purchase of the Gilger property in Dorr Township, taking further steps toward ensuring the campus will remain at its current location for decades to come.

In early March, Crystal Lake City Council approved MCC's request for a variation from the zoning ordinance to allow for 50-percent impervious coverage on its current campus and, if purchased, the adjacent Gilger property.

After the city council's approval, MCC's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to exercise the option to purchase the land, which adds 56.7 acres to the existing main campus, bringing the total acreage to 169.

The college does not plan to build immediately on this land; however, the acquisition of the new property ensures that MCC will continue to be accessible by Tartan Drive, and allows MCC to plan for the long-term development of its educational facilities.

At a purchase price of $3.8 million, the college obtained financing for the property through the sale of debt certificates to pay off over 19 years.

The contract signing and final purchase took place at Chicago Title in Crystal Lake. Those in attendance included Walter Packard, MCC president; George Lowe, chairman of the board of trustees; Ronald Ally, vice president for administrative services and MCC treasurer; attorney Sandra Kerrick of Caldwell, Berner & Caldwell, legal counsel for MCC; and Bill Gilger and Tom Hager, prior owners of the property.