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District hires Mohawk Commercial; consultant outlines environmental, title and marketing steps
Summary
The Lyons Twp HSD 204 board approved a professional services agreement with Mohawk Commercial and Urban Development LLC and heard consultant Moses Hall recommend Phase I environmental review, title clearance, an updated survey and a targeted marketing campaign to ready district land for sale. Staff will obtain multiple quotes and return with a scope and timeline.
The Lyons Township High School District 204 Board of Education voted to approve a professional services agreement with Mohawk Commercial and Urban Development LLC to provide real-estate broker and consulting services.
The motion to approve the contract was made, seconded and carried by roll call, with Member Campbell, Member Gennady Fry, Member Kennedy, Member Lopez, Member Vita Daniels and Member Alvarez voting yes. The board then invited Moses Hall of the contracted firm to present next steps for marketing the district property.
"As we begin this partnership one of the things we want to start to consider in preparation of the sale and bidding process is an environmental Phase I," Moses Hall told the board, recommending a Phase I site assessment (historical records and visual review) and title work to ensure there are no liens or encumbrances. He said Phase I reports typically take four to six weeks, title commitments two to three weeks, and marketing materials can be produced in about two weeks, though many tasks can run concurrently.
Hall also advised the board to avoid launching marketing close to the winter holidays, when developers and municipal staff are often unavailable. He noted the firm's ability to list the site on national platforms, including commercial listing services, and to reach prospective regional and national developers.
Board members asked about procurement and cost. Administrators and Mr. Hall agreed it is efficient to request quotes from several established firms for the Phase I environmental study rather than run a full bid process, which can take months. Several board members said the likely cost appeared to fall under the district's informal-purchase threshold (discussed in the meeting as $35,000) but requested three quotes to confirm the estimate before proceeding.
Next steps assigned at the meeting: Hall will prepare a written scope of work for a Phase I environmental study; district staff will identify and contact at least three firms for quotes; Brian and administrative staff will work with legal and facilities staff to order an updated survey and title commitment; and Hall will draft a detailed marketing plan for the board to review at the April 7 committee meeting.
The board and administration emphasized timing: if the district moves quickly, the consultant said a marketing kickoff could be feasible in May with a 60-day bidding window to follow; a more conservative timeline would start the window in June with awards by August. The board agreed to receive interim updates by email and to consider formal approvals at future meetings.
