Buffalo Grove park officials protest grant cutoff for projects already under way
Buffalo Grove Park District officials released a statement Monday that objects to state orders to stop projects already started and to break contracts already awarded - because the governor has suspended all state park grants.
In Buffalo Grove, the affected projects are the new gas station exhibit at the Raupp Museum (grant awarded in June 2014); the redevelopment of the Community Arts Center (grant awarded in October 2014), and the redevelopment of Willow Stream Park (grant awarded in May 2013).
The Community Arts Center project has yet to begin; however, the Raupp Museum project is under contract and was scheduled to begin Monday, March 16. The Willow Stream Park project began last summer and is not yet complete.
According to the letter in reference to the Willow Stream Park grant sent by Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Wayne Rosenthal, "this suspension requires that the Buffalo Grove Park District immediately cease incurring additional obligations, costs or spending for which grant reimbursement would be sought until further notice."
Buffalo Grove Park District Executive Director Ryan Risinger said he "can somewhat understand the governor putting projects that have yet to begin on hold.
"However, to say we cannot finish a project that we were awarded in 2013 and began construction on last year is extremely detrimental to our community," Risinger said.
"What we have right now is a torn-up park that we are being told we cannot finish. We have residents who cannot use the park, as well as programs and events scheduled to take place this summer that will likely be canceled.
"There is also the concern of litigation, since we have a construction contract that we are now being forced to breach," he added.
The Willow Stream Park redevelopment project received a $400,000 Open Space Land Acquisition Development grant in May 2013. The total cost of the project is $818,000 and includes improvements to the pathway system, including new pathways through wooded areas and the far east side of the park near the baseball fields, a nature playground, shelter and storage areas, new lighting, a shelter with a performance stage, and a warming house/shelter near the area where the ice skating rink is built during the winter.
Scheduled to be completed this spring were pathways, the performance stage and shelter, the warming house/shelter, and a significant amount of landscape work.
The Raupp Museum OSLAD grant was for $51,000, and the Community Arts Center Park and Recreational Facility Construction grant was for $1.73 million.