Plans by Winfield to open a butterfly museum remain in the cocoon stage, but a three-month extension granted to village officials leaves hope the project can still emerge.
DuPage County Forest Preserve District commissioners gave the village 90 more days to determine the feasibility of the project, which is the brainchild of Mayor John Kirschbaum, who hopes it will become a tourist attraction. Kirschbaum wants to build the sanctuary on 7 acres owned by the Forest Preserve District on Geneva Road just west of Winfield Road.
If the sanctuary receives village approval, the forest preserve has agreed to sell Winfield the land for $351,000, with the promise the village will build a parking lot that can be used by people visiting the nearby Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve.
A village panel studying the $6.5 million plan’s feasibility had asked for the extension to complete its study.
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Members of the panel are optimistic but remain concerned about how the sanctuary will be paid for.
“I guess they need more time, and we have no problem with that,” said board member William Maio (R-Itasca). “They have to decide if this is what they really want to do.”
If Winfield decides to move forward, the village will have two years to start construction on the atrium.
Kirschbaum came up with the idea of a butterfly museum after visiting a sanctuary in St. Louis about a year ago.
Estimates have been that it will attract as many as 300,000 people a year, but questions remain about what will happen if the response is not that strong.