Loyola buys Woodstock property once planned for senior living site

A controversial proposal to convert the former Resurrection Retreat Center in Woodstock to a retirement community has fizzled out with a new purchaser taking over the property.

Loyola University in Chicago on Tuesday confirmed it purchased the 98-acre property at 2710 S. Country Club Road for $6.4 million from the Congregation of the Resurrection for academic and spiritual use.

The acquisition of the retreat center, which will be named the Loyola University Chicago Retreat and Ecology Campus, will allow the university to expand its student retreat programs, as well as benefit the university's biology department and Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy.

Currently, the retreat program accommodates a small portion of first-year students, the university said in a news release.

"Making the university a sanctuary for self-reflection is an important part of the university's strategic plan," Vice President for Student Development Robert Kelly said in a release. "Offering retreats allows us to provide a significant experience for our students."

Offering 20 acres of natural habitat including ponds, streams, woods and prairie land, the property allows students in classes like ecology, biology and environmental sciences to conduct field research.

The university plans to open the center in the fall.

The Congregation of the Resurrection did not return calls for comment Tuesday. The organization had planned to build a 123-unit senior living complex and received approval from the McHenry County Board to move ahead with plans.

The proposed village riled neighbors who voiced concerned that the development would damage natural environs and overpopulate the area.

McHenry County Board members said they approved of the purchase.

"I think it is a very good thing," McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler said. "They are a very good institution and if they run it properly they will get many years of enjoyment up there."