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Consultant: Haymarket treatment center would bring 163 jobs to Itasca

But property's taxes would have to be absorbed by others

Haymarket Center's proposal to transform a former Holiday Inn into an addiction treatment facility would bring 163 jobs to Itasca and generate $20.8 million in economic activity in DuPage County, a consultant said.

But the Chicago-based nonprofit group would take the property off the tax rolls, meaning its $178,780 in property taxes would have to be covered by other property owners.

Aaron Gruen, who represented Haymarket, last week laid out the resources the 240-bed facility would use for emergency services as well as the financial benefit the village would receive.

“Haymarket would provide an additional source of jobs, income and stimulus to the volume of economic activity in the local community,” Gruen said during a public hearing.

According to Gruen, Haymarket's facility would add 163 jobs directly to the village that would post $9.6 million in annual earnings for those workers and $20.8 million per year in increased economic activity in DuPage from the purchases of supplies, equipment and construction activities.

He said Haymarket DuPage would generate more than $17,000 a year in tax revenue for the village, including $13,283 in utility tax revenue.

Gruen estimated the cost of police services for Haymarket would be up to $30,096 per year and fire and ambulance services would be $54,198 per year. Haymarket officials said they have a contract with Elite Ambulance to handle most ambulance calls.

Gruen said the property taxes will be absorbed by existing property taxpayers and spread across all residential and commercial properties with a negligible impact.

Haymarket — which has its headquarters in Chicago's West Loop — is seeking the location in Itasca for those who need service in the suburbs as the opioid crisis gets worse.

Residents who oppose the proposal say the village of roughly 8,000 people cannot sustain the resources needed to serve a facility that would see 4,750 patients a year.

James Diestel, a member of the Concerned Citizens of Itasca group, says Haymarket presenters testified that Itasca would lose significant sales and property tax revenue due to Haymarket's tax exemption status and would raise taxes on villagers as a result.

“Haymarket presenters seem to be concentrating on DuPage data as opposed to an impact on Itasca because the numbers simply don't make sense for a small village,” Diestel said.

Haymarket purchased the hotel site with a $5 million donation, the largest in its 45-year history. After a hiatus, the plan commission in Itasca scheduled multiple Haymarket meetings through Dec. 9.

The next public hearing on the project is scheduled for Wednesday.

• Trey Arline is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.

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