Clocktower project on again in Wheeling
After village leaders reversed their decision for the fourth time in as many months, the clock tower plaza planned for the corner of Dundee and Milwaukee roads in Wheeling is back on again.
Village trustees voted 5-2 this week to approve the $318,000 project outside the new Fresh Farms development at the busy intersection. The plaza will include a clock tower, additional parking, landscaping and several benches.
The project first came up in March, but was tabled until more information could be gathered. On April 2, the board voted 5-1 to postpone the work because of its costs, but on May 29 trustees changed course to resurrect the original plan and asked village staff to prepare a formal resolution approving it.
That resolution failed June 25, but a revamped measure — including the elimination of LED lighting and lettering for “Village of Wheeling” — finally was approved Monday.
Trustees Dean Argiris and Bill Hein voted against the plan.
“I think a lot of people forget there's other parts of town that desperately need beautification, especially on the west side of town where we've done nothing,” Argiris said previously. “There's more to this town then just Milwaukee and Dundee.”
Finance director Michael Mondschain said the project, which is in the Crossroads tax increment financing district, will be funded by transferring money from other TIF districts and will not impact the village's budget.
Proponents have said that if the project isn't acted upon now, it would likely continue to be put off in the future.
“We're trying to show the world that Wheeling is a world-class community,” Trustee Ken Brady said in May. “This is the time to do it. Finish the project, so (the intersection) doesn't look like a three-legged dog.”