Village Board Bits: Empty Building on Commons to be Sold

After sitting empty for years, the empty mixed-use building on the Village Commons has a buyer. Details could not be released until the deal is made official, which will likely be next week.

The building has been an incomplete piece to the vision of the Commons, which included the new Village Hall, Public Library and Old Plank Trail Bank. The plans for the building were to be a two-story, mixed-use development with retail on the first floor and offices on the second.

At one time there was a developer for the building, but that fell through. Mayor Tim Baldermann couldn't say officially what the building's use would be, but in a previous interview he said its completion could be a good first step in developing the open space surrounding the Commons area.

"There’s a lot of property there," he said. "It’d be nice to see it developed into a community area. That’s a vision we all share—something that would really compliment the beautiful land and buildings we already have here."

ALSO AT THE MEETING

Route 30 Agreement

The Village Board approved an intergovernmental agreement outlining each participating party's responsibility for maintenance and cost-sharing on the $73 million project that will widen Route 30 to four lanes.

New Lenox will pay no more than $607,342 for the project, which includes upgrades such as utility adjustments and portions of requested bike paths and sidewalks along the road.

For more information, check back to Patch later for a full story on the village's part in the Route 30 project.

Noisy Trains

A board committee is looking into the possibility that the village could fund a study to implement quiet zones along the Rock Island Metra line. The line is technically in New Lenox Township property, but some township residents have been contacting the village about getting quiet zone upgrades to allow trains to move along the line without blowing their whistles.

In December, the village reached an agreement with Canadian National Railway to get necessary upgrades to the lines to get quiet zones. Since then, more residents have asked what can be done along the Rock Island line.

Village officials weren't sure whether they would need to work with the township or with Will County, but quiet zones along the line are something that could be looked into.

Town Hall Meeting

The board wants to remind residents that there is a town hall meeting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the community room on the first floor of Village Hall. The meeting will address questions and concerns from residents who live west of Cedar Road and north of Haven, but will also provide a Q&A session for residents who have questions about the that will ask voters whether to give the village authority to seek the lowest bids for electricity rates.

At 1 p.m. the same day, Trustee Annette Bowden will hold an informational meeting in the community room with the French Market, the village's new farmers market operator. Any interested vendors, organizations or residents are invited to stop by to ask questions or to get involved.