ARTICLE SUMMARY: Green Garden Township is advancing with preliminary work for a new town hall, having met with architects and a civil engineer, while awaiting Will County’s final approval to transfer a $500,000 grant to the new project.

Key Points:

• Township Supervisor Dean Christofilos reported that grant paperwork was submitted to Will County for approval to use a $500,000 grant, originally for renovating the current hall, to instead help fund a new building.

• The township has consulted with a civil engineer and two architects and has scheduled a preliminary permit meeting with Will County for August 21st to clarify requirements for the new construction.

• The project, estimated to cost $750,000, will be focused solely on the town hall to meet the December 31, 2026, completion deadline, with amenities like a walking trail postponed.

• The board plans to hire a project manager to oversee the construction, which will be subject to a public bidding process for subcontractors.

GREEN GARDEN – Green Garden Township is taking concrete steps toward building a new town hall on a six-acre property it owns, with officials moving forward on preliminary engineering and architectural plans while awaiting a critical grant approval from Will County.

During the township’s August 11th board meeting, Supervisor Dean Christofilos provided a detailed update on the project, which residents voted to support as “option three” over renovating the existing, aging town hall.

A key development is the formal submission of paperwork to Will County to transfer a $500,000 grant. The funds were initially awarded to renovate the current building, but the township is seeking approval to apply the remaining $400,000 toward the new construction. Christofilos said the paperwork was submitted to the county by its grant management consultant, Accenture, on August 5th.

“We are waiting for that grant to be approved before we spend significant money on this option just to find out that the grant isn’t approved,” Christofilos said, emphasizing the desire for fiscal caution.

While awaiting the county’s decision, the township is proceeding with necessary preliminary work. Christofilos reported having a “face-to-face meeting” with a civil engineer from MG2A and phone conversations with two architectural firms experienced in similar municipal projects. A preliminary permit meeting with Will County officials has been scheduled for August 21st.

“We’re going to ask a lot of questions about the preliminary [requirements],” Christofilos said, noting that potential costly additions like a turning lane into the property do not appear to be necessary based on initial feedback.

The project is estimated to cost around $750,000. With approximately $800,000 in its capital fund plus the potential $400,000 from the grant, the township is in a strong financial position to complete the project. To ensure it meets the grant’s completion deadline of December 31, 2026, the initial focus will be solely on the town hall building.

Christofilos explained that other potential features, such as a walking trail on the 40-acre property, have been postponed. “The more we add to the project, the longer it takes to get approvals, the longer it’s going to take to get it completed,” he said. The civil engineer warned that proximity to a creek on the property could significantly delay the project if a trail were included in the initial permit application.

The new town hall will be situated on the northernmost part of the six-acre parcel to maximize distance from an adjacent residence, with plans to include a berm to address neighbor concerns.

Christofilos assured the public that the process will be transparent, with plans to hire a project manager to oversee the work and a formal bidding process for all sub-contracts. “We are going to follow all the correct statutes of Illinois that talk about the bidding process,” he stated.