Schools
Brokers suggest the opposite of Lyons Township High's previous secretive process.
LA GRANGE, IL – Three years ago, Lyons Township High School's board pursued a rushed, secretive process to sell the school's Willow Springs land.
In the end, the board's effort crumbled. And the attorney general ruled that the board's closed meetings were illegal.
On Monday, two real estate brokers suggested an opposite approach.
They were among five firms that gave presentations to the board, hoping to become the school's broker.
Tony Gange of CBRE told the board that he had already spoken with the village of Willow Springs about zoning.
"It appears that it will be primarily a residential site," Gange said. "One of the things we want to do is work with the municipality."
He said his firm wanted to help ensure the development is as high-quality as possible.
A fight is what the school board got into in early 2023.
That's when Willow Springs residents discovered that the school board had worked behind closed doors for months to sell the more than 70 acres of wooded land to an industrial developer.
Later, closed-session recordings showed the board strategized to keep their plan secret from Willow Springs for as long as possible.
Years before, the village zoned the property for residential and light retail, barring industrial uses. In closed sessions, the school board's then-lawyer advised members that they could successfully challenge a zoning denial, although towns have a lot of power to stick to their rules.
Matt Ishikawa, also of CBRE, said his firm would not want to "swim upstream" against a municipality.
But he said some clients have asked the firm to subvert the process completely and sell quickly. In such cases, he said, developers end up with land where zoning is uncertain.
A few years ago, CBRE handled the sale of the Arlington International Racecourse to the Chicago Bears.
"The Chicago Bears bought that property without full entitlements. I would not advise them to do that," Ishikawa said.
The process for selling a large parcel can take a year, he said.
"There are still going to be twists and turns," Ishikawa said. "I guarantee you that because it is not an easy process."
Representatives of NAI Hiffman also said they would reach out to Willow Springs, with Chris Gary saying "a lot of angst" exists in the village over the property.
"That will be driving a lot of the value that you're trying to capture," he said. "That's the 800-pound gorilla in the room."
In NAI Hiffman's proposal, one of the property's weaknesses was listed as "limited zoning potential," noting community opposition to industrial uses, which draw higher land prices.
One of the other brokers, Mike Meksto of Baum Realty, seemed focused on industrial development on the property. He repeatedly referred to a 2022 appraisal showing the land's value at $68 million.
But that appraisal, which was done secretly, assumed the land would go to an industrial developer, the board's wish at the time.
After the backlash in 2023, the board commissioned another appraisal under the current zoning. The school decided to keep that document under wraps from the public, which it appears to have the right to do under state law.
Meksto said the property is significant, given its closeness to Chicago and the city's two airports.
"Will it become light industrial? That is something we will find out through the program and the process," he said. "Sixty-eight million is recommended by your professional (appraiser). That is a lot of money."
Village officials have said they won't allow industrial development on the property.
The other firms competing for the school's business are Mohall Commercial & Urban Development, Scale Advisory and DarwinPW Realty, which is teaming up with RE/MAX In The Village.
The proposals are online.
After the presentations, Superintendent Brian Waterman asked the board to narrow down the list to two or three firms.
But the school's attorney, James Levi, suggested members email their thoughts to the superintendent or board president.
Waterman and others agreed.
630.352.3601
Service Areas
