City officials are moving ahead with plans to finance a new police station, even as a vote on construction bids has been delayed.
At a September 2 City Council workshop, Finance Director Katie Skibbe outlined a proposal to issue $19 million in bonds and draw $6 million from city reserves to fund the renovation of 1925 Field Court in the Conway Park office complex. The city purchased the vacant building last year for $3.5 million with the intent of converting it into police headquarters. Renovation costs are currently estimated at $25 million.
Since the 1960s, Lake Forest’s police and fire departments have shared space at a building in the 200 block of Deerpath Road. Skibbe projected that issuing $19 million in bonds would result in a $210 annual property tax increase for a home valued at $1 million. She cautioned, however, that the impact could be higher if construction bids exceed expectations.
City Manager Jason Wicha noted the other major capital project requiring debt financing in the near future would be a new recreation center, replacing the current facility at 400 Hastings Road.
“This would effectively eliminate building a rec center before 2032,” Wicha said.
Mayor Stanford “Randy” Tack added that because renovating an existing office building that is expected to cost less than constructing a new facility, the city should ultimately be able to finance both projects within the next several years.
The City Council had planned to vote on construction bids at its September 15 meeting, but the vote has been tentatively postponed to October 6. City spokeswoman Dana Olson said contractors requested more time to prepare detailed cost estimates.
Separately, the city is projecting an $8 million expense to renovate the current Deerpath Road building into a fire department-only facility. Olson said a design analysis for that project is now underway.
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Separately, the City Council directed the staff to create a set of parameters for temporary uses of Market Square in the city’s downtown for private groups.
“It provides clarity for staff rather than doing it at our discretion,” Wicha said.
Community Development Director Catherine Czerniak said the city doesn’t get many requests for use of the space, but described the creation of parameters as a “pre-emptive” move.
Czerniak sensed the guidelines would include the requirement of groups obtaining a special use permit, duration of the event, use of the area by one group at a time and installation limitations.
“We really don’t want people sticking things into the ground. Our crews work very hard to maintain the green space,” Czerniak said.
She emphasized the city can not regulate content at an event.
“Once we approve one group or individual, we can not prohibit another group or another individual,” Czerniak said.
The City Council appeared to agree on the need for parameters.
“We need to have a policy at some level so that staff knows how to respond to requests,” Tack noted.
Czerniak stated afterward the City Council was scheduled to address the issue at its Sept. 15 meeting.
A high profile temporary use of Market Square occurred in 2020 for a Black Lives Matter rally following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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City Council members also received an update on the replacement of the Waveland Park Pavilion.
The city wants to replace the existing pavilion that is now enclosed with an open air building with amenities include a water bottle station, fireplace, and updated bathrooms.
The city budgeted $950,000 for the new structure but the lowest of the four bids came in at approximately $1.36 million, including 10 % for contingency funds, according to Assistant Public Works Director James Lockefeer.
With aldermen appearing split on whether to proceed with the new pavilion despite the costs of the bids or to hold off, they opted formally vote on the lowest bid at an upcoming meeting and then decide as to how to proceed.
Lockefeer said the vote could occur as early as the September 15 meeting.
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After the meeting, the city announced the entire intersection at Deerpath and Oakwood would be closed to vehicular traffic between September 15 – 28 in another phase of the ongoing massive rehabilitation of Deerpath Road in downtown Lake Forest.
The closure will allow crews to install new storm sewers and improve the intersection for enhanced pedestrian safety and drainage.
The city closed the intersection of Deerpath and Western for some time in August for similar improvements.
The overall Deerpath rehabilitation project is scheduled to be completed by the end of October, Olson said.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.