Schererville is moving ahead with some of its major projects. The town council voted three-to-two Wednesday to hire Reardon Consulting Services for pre-design work on the Illiana Speedway redevelopment.
Company president Pat Reardon said it will determine how much of the site is buildable. "It'll involve wetland delineation," Reardon told council members. "It's going to involve some pre-engineering. It's going to involve research of the purchase agreements. I don't know if there are covenants that are going to preclude building."
It's seen as the first phase of the project, laying the groundwork for future design and then construction. Council members have discussed using the site for recreational facilities.
But council member Kevin Connelly felt the $91,125 maximum cost for pre-design was an unneeded layer of expense. Instead, he felt town staff should manage the project, while the council engages design firms directly.
"Have these design firms prepare some renderings, have them determine where these facilities should go, then at that point, build out costs to engineer it," Connelly explained.
Council member Robin Arvanitis, however, felt hiring Reardon was a good way to get the project moving. "In regards to starting soon, I would think our residents are going to say, 'Finally!' because we've been talking about this long before I was even here," Arvanitis said.
Meanwhile, the Kennedy Avenue extension project is also moving forward. Council members approved almost $1.3 million worth of contracts with DLZ for design and right of way acquisition services. That covers the fourth phase of the project, which extends from just south of Junction Avenue to U.S. 30.
The council also approved the purchase of property at 358 West Division Street for $11,700, to allow for more turn lanes east of Kennedy, as part of the second phase of the project. The complete project will extend Kennedy Avenue to U.S. 30, expand it to four lanes between there and Main Street, and install a bridge over the Canadian National and Norfolk Southern railroads.
