Elmhurst Park District Plan Delayed

ELMHURST, IL — The Elmhurst Park District is delaying a decision on whether to proceed with the $15 million purchase of land that was intended as the site of an indoor sports facility. The holdup is the result of a recent survey that showed most voters were unwilling to support a property tax increase to borrow $105 million for the facility and other projects.

On Tuesday night, park board members unanimously voted to amend the contract with the owners of the 16-acre Kieft Brothers property at Route 83 and Riverside Drive. They agreed to delay a possible purchase for another year. The purchase is contingent on whether voters approve a bond issue in next November's general election.

Under the new terms, the park district agreed to phased-in payments of earnest money totaling $100,000 through August. A few months ago, the park board paid $100,000 in earnest money contingent on a decision by year's end.

The park board had been considering holding the referendum in the March primary election. But now members want a delay as they consider ways to scale back the $105 million proposal that would make it more acceptable for taxpayers.

At an estimated $56 million, the indoor sports facility was the costliest item on the list. The other items were new youth and adult centers, open space acquisition, a dog park, a new parks maintenance facility and improvements in maintenance.

The board appears to be moving away from the proposal for an indoor sports facility. In a memo to the board Tuesday, the district's executive director, Jim Rogers, said the purchase of the Kieft Brothers Property would help the district with a deficiency in open space.

According to the district, Elmhurst is 144 acres short of the recommended 547 acres in open space. The Kieft Brothers land, Roger said, could be available long-term for uses such as outdoor athletic fields.

Last week, Rogers presented five options on how to scale back the district's plan, known as Vision 2020. In response to board feedback, he unveiled yet another option Tuesday. It was the cheapest so far.

The new option would involve borrowing $21.6 million to pay for a new adult center and the Kieft Brothers property. It would include another increase to the property tax to pay for $900,000 in additional park maintenance a year. That money cannot come from a bond issue, which must go for capital improvements, not day-to-day operations.

The new option would cost the owners of a $400,000 home an estimated $112 a year. The other options range from $185 to $268 annually. None of the new options include the indoor sports facility.

The original proposal would have cost the owners of a $400,000 house nearly $450 a year. In 2017, the median-valued home in Elmhurst cost $395,000, according to the U.S. Census.

At Tuesday's meeting, members said they liked Rogers' proposed changes to the timeline, which includes another voter survey.

"This is a great plan, Jim," board President Vince Spaeth said. "I like how we're going back to the community."

Member Mary Kies called the timeline "sensible."

"It gives the community another chance and us another chance to look at this," she said.