Forest Park council pauses bike-path IGA, opens door to Altenheim buffer sale and market test

The Forest Park Village Council on Aug. 25 directed staff to close out its current Invest in Cook intergovernmental agreement for a proposed bike path and to explore reapplying with a redesigned alignment — likely on the west side of the village-owned Altenheim property — while starting work on a market solicitation for development of the site.

The decision followed public comments urging caution about overbuilding and protecting open space. "Let's not overbuild or have no building," resident Thomas Koviak told the council during public comment, urging consideration of the village’s broader fiscal liabilities before disposing of land. Several other residents raised parking and financial concerns, and one speaker asked the council to preserve green space.

Why it matters: the Altenheim parcel is a multi-acre site the village acquired in the early 2000s. Staff said the Invest in Cook grant originally funded design work and that the grant agreement expires Dec. 31; the village has already invested roughly $75,000 in the project. Officials warned that construction costs have risen roughly 30% compared with five years ago, complicating efforts to start and finish work under the current timeline.

Council members agreed they did not want to proceed with the east-side path as currently designed, in part because of a conflict with ComEd utility poles and the possibility that future development could require curb cuts or other disruptions. "I don't want to abandon the idea of a bike path," Commissioner Vogt said, "but I do think on the east side as proposed at this point doesn't really make a whole lot of sense." Staff recommended closing the current IGA and reapplying for grant funds to support both design and construction if the council decides on a new alignment.

The council also asked staff to pursue ComEd's offer to bury overhead lines adjacent to Van Buren Avenue. Village staff and engineers told the council that ComEd completed engineering work and, under the franchise agreement, could bury a set length of overhead wire — but that the village may need to acquire an easement or property interest to permit burial outside the public right-of-way. Director Glinkie said staff’s recommendation is to pursue burying the full 20-foot by roughly 300-foot corridor rather than a smaller easement and to return with cost and property-interest options.

On the Altenheim proposal itself — the senior-living campus’s representatives have offered to buy back portions of the village-owned land — staff outlined two parcels the Altenheim requested. Parcel A would create a buffer around the remaining Altenheim buildings; parcel B is a larger western tract that staff and several commissioners said should be held for future community uses or development. The council indicated support for negotiating a revised parcel-A buffer but asked staff to preserve north–south connectivity and to present alternatives to the buffer as drawn.

Mayor Hoskins urged testing the market: "I think we should engage in the discussion about whether it's time to issue some kind of RFP, look at what would go into an RFP, and then test the market," she said, noting that issuing an RFP would not bind the village to accept a proposal.

Council members debated RFP (request for proposals) versus RFQ (request for qualifications). Staff and one director recommended starting at a high level — preparing an RFP draft and returning with options — while others urged prequalifying developers to ensure financial capacity. The village attorney advised that the demolition grant narrative describes a future mixed-use site (residential, commercial, green space) but did not, in his reading, mandate a commercial component; he recommended consulting the grant administrator for a definitive interpretation.

Next steps: staff will (1) close the current Invest in Cook IGA and explore reapplying for a west-side alignment; (2) continue talks with ComEd and return with costs, easement/ownership options and implications for sidewalks and future path alignments; (3) negotiate with Altenheim on parcel-A buffer language while holding parcel B; and (4) begin high-level preparation of an RFP/RFQ process and return to council with detailed options and cost estimates. The council emphasized the need for intentional communication and community engagement during the outreach and procurement phases.

The special meeting adjourned after a procedural motion. Commissioner Max (mover) made the motion to adjourn; it was seconded and the clerk recorded aye votes from the commissioners present and the mayor. The council scheduled its regular meeting for 7 p.m.