Mayor: Lockport Township fire-training facility will be built in Crest Hill; shooting range component removed for now
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Summary
Mayor told the council the planned Lockport Township fire-training facility in Crest Hill will be built as planned but the proposed firing range has been removed after expected funding fell through; city staff are evaluating zoning and future uses of the affected property.
The mayor announced on Oct. 20 that the Lockport Township fire-training facility proposed for Division Street will proceed as planned, but a proposed firing range component has been removed after anticipated funding for that element fell through.
During the meeting the mayor said funding expected by the Lockport Police Department to pay for the shooting range "fell through at the present time," and as a result the range "has been removed from the docket." The mayor said the 13-acre parcel for the training facility was donated via state action and that state and local officials, including a state senator identified in the record, had participated in the groundbreaking.
The mayor said the training facility will serve Lockport Township’s fire and EMS staff and surrounding departments, and that the police department and other agencies will likely use the site for training in active-shooter and other tactical scenarios. The mayor expected the training center to be ready "by the end of next summer or early fall."
City staff and council members discussed zoning and future uses for the portion of the property where the range had been planned; the mayor said staff, including City Engineer Ron Metzner and Community Development staff, had begun reviewing zoning and options.
The announcement followed Mayor comments congratulating Lockport Township Fire Chief John O’Connor, who the mayor said was named Illinois Fire Chief of the Year, and noting a ground-breaking event that included local officials.
