Schererville reviews up to $77 million concept for Ileana Motor Speedway site, asks staff for scaled, phased estimates

Schererville Town Council and the Park Board on Tuesday reviewed four concept plans for converting the 65‑acre Ileana Motor Speedway site into a multi‑use park and asked staff to return with scaled, phased cost estimates and alternative options for several major amenities.

The meeting focused on a “high‑intensity” concept whose line‑item estimate totaled $76,990,000. That version includes site preparation and demolition, a 23,400‑square‑foot recreation center, an amphitheater, a pavilion/flex event space, multipurpose sports fields, an ice rink, parking and a maintenance building. Town staff presented lower‑cost and medium‑cost concept variants and a breakdown showing the town could prepare the site (no amenities) for roughly $33.7 million and about $38.4 million if landscaping is included.

Why it matters: the estimates exceed the town’s near‑term bonding capacity and shaped the board’s consensus that the project must be scaled and phased if it moves forward. Town officials said the town might be able to bond roughly $30 million to start, and that outside donations and grant support would be necessary to build larger components.

Key cost and scope figures presented at the meeting included: temporary erosion control $900,000; site prep/demolition line items totaling about $3,110,000 on the high‑intensity plan (including asphalt $640,000 and concrete/gravel $1,010,000); site improvements roughly $36,000,000 for the high plan; site lighting and utilities combined about $4,280,000;…