The village of Niles plans to purchase a $2.6 million property adjacent to Golf Mill Park for a future project aimed at providing flood relief to homes in the area.
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The village board voted unanimously at a recent meeting to purchase the 4.5-acre property located at 9101 N. Greenwood Ave. from Milwaukee Golf Realty.
Niles Public Works Director Mary Anderson said the village plans to eventually demolish the office building located on the site and construct a stormwater detention basin on the land. The basin will provide stormwater relief to properties located along Milwaukee Avenue, North Maryland Street and Courtland Drive, a section of Niles that has historically suffered from flooding problems, she said.
Anderson said the entire Chicagoland area began experiencing “more intense rainfalls more frequently” in the 1990s and 2000s, creating a stormwater problem for Niles and a number of other communities.
Purchasing the land “gives the village complete control of future stormwater relief in that area,” said Trustee Joe LoVerde during the village board meeting.
The future project, Anderson said, addresses several needs outlined in the village’s Stormwater Relief Program, which was adopted by Niles officials in 2012.
“This is a way to address a major stormwater management issue in the north end of town,” she said.
Construction of the basin is “several years out” and it could take over a decade to complete the entire list of projects included in the village’s Stormwater Relief Program, Anderson said.
Funding to purchase the property came from a .25 percent increase in the village sales tax that was enacted in 2012, said Hayley Garard, communications coordinator for Niles. Garard said the revenue generated from the tax hike is earmarked for stormwater related projects.
The cost of the project, not including the $2.6 million needed to buy the land, has not yet been determined, she said.
Though the property was purchased primarily with flood control in mind, the site could also serve as a festival ground or permanent public space, said Ross Klicker, economic development coordinator for Niles.
Klicker said Niles officials have sought advice on what can be done with the property when it’s not needed for stormwater relief from Edward Uhlir, project director for Chicago’s famous Millennium Park.
“We are talking to him about potentially helping us with this project… to create a unique space,” Klicker said.
Echoing Anderson’s remarks, Klicker said no one should expect to see any construction crews on the site any time soon.
“Honestly, things can change, but there are no plans for dirt to be flying come next summer,” he said.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.