Changes in a Will County grant deadline appear to have sidelined Green Garden Township’s Town Hall project.
Renovation or replacement of the aging white clapboard structure on Center Road has been a point of discussion and contention in the unincorporated community for more than two years.
With grant funding from Will County and money already allocated in the budget, it seemed that building a new town hall had a green light earlier this year.
But Township Supervisor Dean Christofolis said during the October 13 board meeting that the project is a no-go, at least for now.
After nearly two hours of discussion, the board opted to table the issue until the November meeting.
“Something tells me that what we are about to report is for the best, even though I’m a little frustrated over the whole thing,” he conceded at the start of the meeting.
“The long and short of it is Green Garden Township will not be moving forward with the new town hall. And the reason…is that Will County changed the timeline on us.
“It started at December 31, 2026, that the project had to be completed, and then they informed us they changed it to October 31, 2026, because they needed time to process that grant, the grant funding, the invoices. Everything had to be 100 percent completed, even at their end, by December 31, 2026, or the grant goes away.
“So it went from that to October 31. The board looked at it very intensely. We have put in I don’t know how many countless hours of research on this, and we were very confident we could complete the project by October 31, 2026.
“But then, unexpectedly, they contacted us through email and phone call,” Christofilos continued, “and they said that we have until July 31, 2026, to complete it.
“We can’t do it. It’s not possible. It’s not going to happen. There’s no time.
“We’ve investigated this. We really tried very hard to make this work, but…there’s just not enough time.
“So we have prepared an update that will be on our website (including the timeline, costs, and addressing the issue in detail).”
During the meeting, the board was prepared to formally drop pursuit of either project.
Christofilos said the vote was not required, but would make the decision “official.”
But residents vehemently objected. While a survey in July reportedly showed 60 to 65 percent of GGT residents favored construction of a new town hall, it seems there is still divided opinion. Much of the contention revolves around the cost, estimated to be as much as $750,000 for either renovation or new-build.
The existing town hall, believed to be over a hundred years old, would need extensive repairs and is ADA non-compliant. It reportedly served many decades ago as the gymnasium for the elementary school across from it on Center Road.
Many residents argue that investing close to three-quarters of a million dollars in such an old building is a waste. But others disagree, and insist a new building on the six-acre township-owned site is unnecessary.
As a result of resident concerns and questions during the meeting, Christofilos asked the board to set the issue aside until next month to allow a committee co-chaired by GGT Collector Mike Flanagan (D) and former Trustee Bill Wagner (R) to seek expert advice from trades people and contractors, and evaluate whether or not the renovation can be completed in time.
In the interim, residents will be able to view the “update” on the GGT website this week.
Christofilos told The Vedette he is waiting for additional updated information. He said it is expected to be posted by October 31.