County approves agreement with Naval Station Great Lakes to demolish Halsey Village housing

The Lake County Board approved an intergovernmental support agreement with Naval Station Great Lakes to demolish and remove deteriorated units at Halsey Village, a mixed-age housing area in North Chicago. Member Paul Frank introduced the resolution Aug. 12 and the board voted in favor. Frank said nearly 70 percent of the village’s homes were condemned and described conditions including failing roofs, gutters clogged with debris and playgrounds in disrepair. He said the demolition is intended to remove unsafe structures and allow the Navy and local partners to address site conditions. Frank thanked county staff and Naval Station Great Lakes officials for working on the agreement. The motion passed with a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes. The resolution authorizes county staff to execute the support agreement; Frank described it as primarily intended for demolition of Halsey Village but indicated the intergovernmental framework could be used for related site work. No specific demolition timeline was read into the record during the meeting and Frank said the county has been engaged with the Navy and local partners during planning. The item passed on the consent of the board after discussion and the item advanced without further amendment.