Burr Ridge trustees direct staff to negotiate sale of Village Hall with Goddard Schools

Burr Ridge trustees voted unanimously Nov. 10 to direct village staff to negotiate a purchase-and-sale agreement with Goddard Schools for the village-owned Village Hall at 7660 County Line Road.

The board heard presentations from two prospective buyers — Primrose and Goddard — each offering a $2.7 million purchase price. Staff told trustees both proposals produce an estimated net revenue of about $2,565,000 to the village after customary adjustments; the board was not asked to accept a final offer tonight but to give staff guidance on which buyer to pursue.

Goddard’s representative, Craig Castle of Cushman & Wakefield, told the board that Goddard is not seeking a 5% real‑estate fee and that the village’s net revenue figure should therefore be reported as $2.7 million. “We are not asking for that,” Castle said when trustees asked about broker fees, and he described a local architect/contractor team with recent Burr Ridge permitting experience that would lead the conversion.

Primrose’s real‑estate director, Patrick Ford, said Primrose operates on a franchise model with local franchisees already identified for the trade area and that Primrose typically closes and then assigns at the closing table to the franchisee. Ford described the company’s customary earnest‑money posture and noted the firm has engaged architects. “We will buy it and then we’ll assign it at the closing table,” Ford said.

Trustees pressed both bidders about financing, franchisee commitments, and the timelines embedded in their PSAs. The two offers included different earnest‑money amounts and timing options; trustees flagged Primrose’s $25,000 earnest money as low and one trustee called it “unacceptable,” while the Goddard offer included a substantially larger earnest‑money commitment. Trustees also raised concern that the 220‑ to 300‑day total potential timelines in the contracts were too long and asked staff to seek shorter, accelerated schedules where feasible.

Staff and buyers emphasized that sale is conditioned on zoning approvals: the property sits in a T1 transitional district and both buyers would require special‑use approval and plan‑commission review before any change of use could take effect. Village staff said that, in addition to the PSA negotiation, the buyer would need building permits and special‑use approvals and that those permitting steps typically add weeks to the schedule.

After discussion, a trustee moved to have staff begin negotiations with Goddard; the motion received a second and passed in a 5–0 roll‑call vote. Mayor Graasso said staff will bring a public hearing forward as required and continue attorney‑to‑attorney negotiations on a PSA for subsequent board consideration.

Next steps: staff will negotiate terms with Goddard, the village attorney will review contract language, and the board will schedule the statutorily required public hearing and subsequent plan‑commission and board votes on any special‑use application. If a final PSA is presented for approval, the board’s public record will include the sale terms, earnest‑money amount, and any special‑use conditions imposed during the zoning process.

(Reporting note: Quotes and attributions come from meeting remarks recorded Nov. 10, 2025; no final contract or change of use had been approved by the close of the meeting.)