Batavia park, city officials to talk about park plans for Mooseheart site

Batavia park board members will meet with Batavia aldermen Monday night to discuss planning for a future park on land owned by Mooseheart.

The planned park site is roughly 20 acres of farmland south of Main Street and west of Millview Drive, near Batavia High School.

Batavia Park District will receive the land in 2031, per the terms of an annexation agreement that the city council approved in 2012, according to Allison Niemela, the park district’s executive director.

At the time, Moose International wanted to redevelop 470 acres, roughly half of its campus. The mixed-use development would have included stores, offices, a hotel, and a movie theater. Part of it would have included age-restricted housing for people 55 and older.

On Friday, Mayor Jeff Schielke said the city has not received any requests from Moose International to construct anything.

The agreement expires in 2032 unless the city and Moose International agree to extend it.

Last month, the park board agreed to spend $68,000 to hire Next Practice Partners LLC to begin creating plans for the site.

Niemela has indicated that the consultant will use information gathered from the community, including feedback from recent surveys and upcoming public workshops, to create three possibilities.

2026 Mar 12_Batavia Park District BP Proposal (1).pdf

In 2003, Batavia school district voters authorized spending up to $5 million to buy land from Mooseheart.

The district wanted to expand the high school, and a proposal was floated to have a joint venture between the park and school districts for a fieldhouse and auditorium.

Negotiations with Mooseheart failed to come to fruition, and the school district decided against taking the land by condemnation. The referendum authorization expired in 2008.

Monday’s special meeting with the park board and city council is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Callahan Community Center, 150 Houston St. in Batavia.