Park District Responds to FAQ's About Hubble

The Wheaton Park District issued answers to frequently asked questions regarding Hubble Friday:

Demolition of the unused structures

Under the Park District’s vision for the site, it would purchase the property and maintain and enhance the outdoor playing fields and three indoor gyms along Naperville Road. The Park District would pay to raze the main school building, which would allow for light development on about 4.5 acres at the corner of Roosevelt and Naperville roads. The cost to raze clear the property would come from the Park District’s capital development reserves. The Park District would ultimately recoup the investment by selling the property to allow for light development that would be added to the tax rolls.

Asbestos Removal

There is asbestos in building that would need to be removed and properly disposed of in accordance with environmental standards.

Taxpayer Impact

Park District tax rates can only increase as a result of district wide approval of a referendum. The Park District’s plan makes good financial sense as it ends years of debate and immediately putting sorely needed revenue into local coffers. The plan would: Get the property off of School District 200’s financial books after two years of inactivity; put proceeds from the sale into the pocket of the School District; eliminate the $300,000 a year the School District pays to upkeep the vacant school property; and generate money for the City, and School District by finally getting some of the property on the tax rolls

Heating and Cooling of the saved gymnasiums

If the Park District maintains the gyms and razes the main school building, it will evaluate and upgrade the HVAC system. Operating the existing gymnasiums would cost far less – by millions of dollars -- than buying new land and constructing new facilities.

Upgrades and enhancements

The Park District’s vision for the property includes improvements and enhancements to every portion of the site. You can learn details of the plan at http://www.wheatonparkdistrict.com/pgs/parks/hubble_updates.html

Paying for the property

The Park District plan calls for the district to purchase the property using money from its capital development reserves, which are held for exactly this type of purpose. This will not impact the district tax rate or harm the operations of the park district. The Hubble property is currently home to more than 94,000 user hours of recreational activities and Park District programming each year. Without use of the current facilities, the Park District would have to limit and eliminate such programs and services or build facilities elsewhere at an estimated cost of between $10 to $20 million. Purchasing and making improvements to the existing structures would cost far less that purchase land and building new facilities.

Existing structures

The Park District would maintain and improve the existing outdoor playing fields and three indoor gyms. The main school building at the corner of Naperville and Roosevelt roads would be razed and the property sold to allow for light development that would be added to the tax rolls.

Big box development

The Park District would ultimately sell the remaining, highest-valued portion of the property – at the corner of Roosevelt and Naperville roads – so light development could eventually contribute to the area’s tax base for the first time at that location. In shaping its plan, the Park District considered the needs of the entire community, reflecting the recommendations of the City’s steering committee to strike a balance and address everyone’s concerns. The parcel designated for light development is approximately 4.5 acres, which would not allow for a big box or large retail store. This limitation would protect the integrity of the surrounding neighborhoods and preserve quality of life to nearby residential areas.

Determining fair market value

The Park District would be willing to purchase the property at fair market value and continue to maintain the playing fields and gymnasiums, which have served as home to many of its programs, leagues, practices and events for the last three decades. Fair market value is the price that the property would fetch in the marketplace considering its demand. By paying fair market price, the Park

District would not pay more for the building’s worth, but instead, purchase the site at a reasonable price.

Future of the former Jewel site

The Jewel site is privately owned and controlled. This plan would not impact that site.

Environmental Challenges

The Park District’s mixed-use option would address the physical challenges of the site, most of which cannot accommodate any development. Because most of the 22-acre property lies on a floodplain, which includes the outdoor playing fields on the lower elevation part of the property, only eight acres allow for any buildings or structures. As a result, the environmental limitations resulting from the floodplain preclude any full-scale redevelopment of the property. Meanwhile, the Park District is sensitive to the concerns of homeowners to preserve the quality of life in the surrounding residential neighborhoods.