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Bolander Park property for sale
Libertyville Park District's Rosalio Ayala (left) and Tom Govekra work on the ice Friday at Bolander Park. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 11, 2013 2:20AM
LIBERTYVILLE — A sign has gone up indicating that the Bolander Park property is for sale, but plans to sell it have been in the works for some time.
Discussions started seven to eight months ago, said Connie Kowal, village recreation and Sports Complex director.
The village board passed a resolution Sept. 25 declaring Bolander as surplus property, a necessary legal step when selling municipally owned land.
In October, the board approved a real estate listing agreement with HSA Commercial Real Estate to list the property at an asking price of $2,050,000.
Kowal, along with three parks department employees, currently works out of the building on the property. Those employees, along with the programs that take place there would likely be moving to the Sports Complex.
Also on the site is an ice skating rink. Its fate would be uncertain once a sale occurs.
“We don’t have a plan in place,” Kowal said referring to the rink.
Libertyville Trustee Jim Moran said any concerns about a sale being imminent are premature.
“This is something long-term,” he said.
Ice hockey players have nothing to fear according to Moran, who said he expects the rink would move, not go away.
“The ice rink is very important to our town,” said Moran, who is a fan of hockey and a Blackhawks season ticket holder. “Someday when I have children, I would like them all to play hockey.”
Village government and administrators would like to see a multi-family housing development – apartments, condominiums or townhomes – developed on the property.
Listing agent Doug Reed said there has been interest in the property and that the village was hearing from developers before Bolander Park was put on the market. As for it’s saleability in the current market, Reed was optimistic.
“It’s looking better than it has in the past few years,” he said.
Heather Rowe, the village’s Economic Development Coordinator, said there is a definite feeling that Libertyville is lacking in this type of housing.
The property’s proximity to the Metra station and downtown makes it a highly desirable location for residences that would be good options for singles or couples without children.
Another such development was proposed in the spring of last year. Dubbed Liberty Station, it was to go on the Trimm property along Lake Street.
Rowe said that proposal highlighted the need for multi-family housing and that there aren’t many places to build it in Libertyville.
“We don’t have a lot of these sites,” she said.
Although it’s currently zoned for institutional use, Rowe said rezoning for residences would not be an issue.
The listing contract with HSA runs through Sept. 30, but can be renewed if need be.
