Voters OK $18 mil increase to buy Villa Olivia

The Bartlett Park District achieved a rare accomplishment in a slumping economy Tuesday, as they convinced voters to raise their taxes.

Voters approved a referendum allowing the district to borrow $18 million to buy the Villa Olivia Country Club and renovate the Bartlett Aquatic Center.

Unofficial results late Tuesday show that with all precincts reporting, 53 percent of voters backed the measure.

Steve Eckelberry, the park board vice president, said the district hopes to finalize purchase of Villa Olivia by the end of the year. Park District Executive Director Rita Fletcher said work on the aquatic center could start later this year after parks officials hire architects.

“Everyone is pretty excited right now, I'm pretty excited,” Eckelberry said. “It's a great feeling. We've worked really hard on this. We're excited about the future.”

The $18 million breaks down like this: $5.9 million would go to purchase and preserve the 138-acre Villa Olivia property. Another $6.2 million would fund renovations at the country club. The rest would pay for aquatic center improvements.

The 18-year-old aquatic center lacks modern equipment and can't support the needs of Bartlett's growing population, which has gone from 24,000 when the center opened to 41,000 today, referendum backers said.

Park district officials said the increase would add another $35 to the annual tax bill for the owner of a $250,000 home. The hike would last 20 years, until the bonds are repaid.

“I think people understand the value of preserving open space,” Fletcher said. “This is a golden opportunity and we thank them for their support.”

Villa Olivia's owners, the Corrado family, have not made any public comments about the proposed park district sale. They previously had plans to sell the land at 1401 W. Lake St. to Ryland Homes for $19 million, but covenants that prohibit development until at least 2022 stymied the deal.

Bartlett village officials now need to reannex the country club, which is in Elgin's city limits. A Bartlett Plan Commission meeting is scheduled next week to discuss the issue.

Park district officials estimate that Villa Olivia's banquet hall, golf course and ski hill could bring $200,000 to $300,000 a year in additional revenue. Bartlett will now be the first park district in the state that owns a ski hill.