Bids For Metra Station Makeover Way Too High: Village Officials

LIBERTYVILLE, IL – It's back to the drawing board for village officials in Libertyville who received several bids that were well above the $1.1 million budget for planned upgrades at the downtown Metra station, according to the Daily Herald. In fact, the lowest bid for the upgrades was $2.39 million. And trustees during a Oct. 24 meeting are expected to vote down all the bids.

There is no flexibility in the funding that will pay for the Metra station makeover with $800,000 budgeted from the commuter parking funds by the village and $300,000 coming from Metra, the Daily Herald reports.

Rick Swanson, the Lake Forest developer contracted to complete the current design, said adjustments can be made while still keeping with the village's desire to make the Metra station more aesthetically pleasing, according to the Daily Herald. Some portions of the original plan, like a radiant heat snow system and architectural detailing, may have to be nixed.

(For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Trustee Donna Johnson said she was impressed with the original design but added that trustees need to "think about what kind of design realistically will draw the bids that are within our budget."

More via the Daily Herald

Patch File Photo