Elgin Eastside Rec Center upgrades approved
Plans for major renovations to Elgin’s Eastside Recreation Center have faltered since October, when the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced a $1.76 million grant to pay for 75 percent of project costs. While the city council was split on whether to contract out the work in light of extra expenses, a majority of members approved the first round of bids Wednesday.
Early cost proposals for the entire project came in at $1 million more than expected when the city first applied for the grant — an amount that would have scrapped the project.
Rich Hoke, building maintenance superintendent for Elgin, said the plans were modified after the original bid process to decrease the cost. The project as it stands now will be about $140,000 more than originally expected.
Elgin’s contribution should come in at $613,700 with the state paying the rest of the $2.45 million project.
“The city has taken advantage of the grant to make our money go much farther,” Hoke said. “If we were going to do it, this is definitely the time.”
The rec center has been in dire need of renovations since the city bought it in 2008. Planned improvements include adding air conditioning, bringing the restrooms into Americans with Disabilities Act standards and adding walls for more programming space.
The majority of council members approved the first two bids at Wednesday’s council meeting for work on the new walls. Bids for the bulk of the project with the major air conditioning and plumbing upgrades are set to come forward for approval in July.
Councilmen John Prigge and Richard Dunne both voted against awarding the first two bids Wednesday given the extra cost of the project.
But Councilwoman Tish Powell was firmly supportive of the upgrades, as well as the work of city employees who restructured the plans to lower the cost.
“For that facility in this day and age to not have air conditioning is not acceptable,” Powell said. “We need to move forward with these changes as soon as possible.”
Councilman Robert Gilliam defended the ERC as a facility serving a lower-income population, keeping many at-risk kids off the streets with activities and after-school programming.
“I don’t think we can afford not to do this,” Gilliam said.