Mundelein buying office building as part of public works construction plan
Mundelein officials are planning to convert a corporate office building on Allanson Road into a new public works and engineering facility.
The village board Monday agreed to pay about $1.3 million for the building and about three acres of land at 1 Bio Logic Plaza. The current owner and occupant, a manufacturing company called Natus Medical that has offices around the world, had put the site up for sale.
The 26,000-square-foot building will be part of the new public works and engineering complex officials already were considering building on adjoining land.
A 74,000-square-foot addition, which will include a salt storage building and a fueling station, is planned.
The entire project is expected to cost about $18 million.
Repurposing the existing building as part of the project will save the village about $2.5 million, Village Administrator John Lobaito said.
"It was cheaper to buy the building and construct an addition than to build everything new," he said.
The property is west of Washington Boulevard on Allanson, next to a village water tower. The village purchased about 17 acres of undeveloped land there in 2013.
Some of that 17 acres will be set aside for a public park, officials said.
Natus plans to move out in early 2019. The company will rent the building from the village for $10,000 per month until it leaves.
The agreement mandates Natus will move out by March 15, 2019.
The current public works headquarters is at 440 E. Crystal St., on the southern end of what's considered downtown Mundelein. Various public works offices, such as those for the water division and wastewater maintenance staff, are elsewhere in town.
Officials long have wanted to leave the nearly seven-acre Crystal Street compound to free up land in the downtown area.
That land, Mayor Steve Lentz said, is "very important" for the ongoing downtown redevelopment effort.
Additionally, bringing all the public works and engineering employees under one roof will improve efficiency, Lobaito said.
Property taxes will not be increased beyond current rates because of the effort, officials said.
Money for the project will come from a loan that will be taken out next year - the same year loans that funded new fire and police stations 20 years ago are to be paid off. Revenue in a water and sewer fund will be used, too.