Subsidy Delay For Western Springs Condo Development

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – Last December, a developer pressed Western Springs to provide money for the construction of a downtown condo complex that had already begun.

A year later, Felix Lampariello, owner of Hinsdale-based KLM Development, has yet to get any money.

In July, the village's Economic Development Commission decided that $971,0000 of the project's costs were eligible for a subsidy. KLM originally requested $1.5 million for the more than $8 million project.

The request's next step was a vote by the Finance Committee. But the committee has met five times in the last five months without considering the issue.

Asked about the delay, village spokeswoman Selmin Cicek said she had no more information to share.

"I've been advised that the application is still under review," she said in an email.

The requested money would come from a tax increment financing district, or TIF.

Part of the original request for money was for the land purchase. However, under state law, that portion was ineligible for the subsidy because the purchase was a year before the 2019 creation of the tax district.

Patch left a message Thursday for comment with Lampariello. Past efforts to get his side of the story have been difficult.

In September, a man answering Lampariello's cellphone said, "You've got the wrong number." When Patch called a moment later, the call went to voicemail, which indicated the phone was Lampariello's.

In July, Lampariello acknowledged to Patch the village had not agreed yet to give the project any money.

But he hung up after telling Patch, "I have a meeting with the village. You'll have to contact them."

Under the plan, KLM would be reimbursed for the eligible expenses from the higher tax collections that are expected as a result of the property's increased value.

Lampariello has told the village he needed the money to get the necessary financing from Lakeside Bank. He made his original request in 2021.

He has said he hopes to finish the project by the end of 2023.

The idea behind a tax increment financing district is that the money spurs development, which will bring more taxes to local government bodies in the long run.

In a November 2022 email to local officials, Lampariello said he had been repeatedly assured that he would get TIF help from the village.