District 204 Trustees Weigh Hiring Real-Estate Consultant to Market Willow Springs Property; Public Speaker Urges Modest Development and Local Homebuilding

Superintendent Brian Waterman told trustees the board should explore hiring a real-estate consultant to help market and value the Willow Springs property and to "maximize the best" outcome for the community while protecting district interests.

The board's discussion centered on procurement and fees. Attorney James Lee (Hodges) explained the school code limits how districts may engage brokers: a commission may be paid in limited sale circumstances (a percentage not to exceed 7% and limited to 120 days) only after bids fail to meet a reasonable minimum price, while marketing and valuation services may be contracted as professional services for a flat fee or hourly rate. Lee said districts are not required to run a competitive bid for such professional services but may choose to do so.

Board members asked administration to solicit proposals that answer three core questions: how the firm would market the property, what valuation services it would provide, and what it would charge. Trustees discussed standardizing the request so responses would be comparable and agreed a two-week to four-week response window would be reasonable; several trustees said two weeks would keep the process moving. The board did not authorize a contract at this meeting but directed staff to gather proposals and return with options.

The discussion was framed as exploratory. "We would reach out and share a little bit of information around the property, the history of the property," Waterman said, asking respondents to propose marketing strategy, valuation approaches and fees. James Lee added that any contract would specify the services and a not-to-exceed fee, rather than a sales commission for routine marketing work.

During public comment immediately before the item, Rick Knapp described a privately conceived alternative to a high-density development. "If you took just something as simple as 70 lots, made them decent sized ... and kept the rest of it, that would create another 30 acres that you could create as local park," Knapp said, and suggested the district consider selling most lots while retaining a small number for a Lyons Township-led home-building or workforce program. Knapp said unions and the community would support training and vocational opportunities tied to construction and trades.

What happens next: administration will prepare and distribute a short request for proposals to potential real-estate consultants that addresses marketing approach, valuation services and pricing, and will return to the board with proposals and recommended timelines; trustees noted that pursuing consultant proposals is not an authorization to sell.

Why it matters: the property under discussion is a large district asset. Hiring outside expertise could change the timing, marketing reach and terms of any future sale or reuse. The board emphasized transparency and predictable fees over a commission-based engagement.