The Orland High School District 230 Board voted late Thursday night to move forward with the purchase of a property at 10608 W. 163rd St. in Orland Park for $3 million, after debating the move for months.
The purchase includes a 60-day due diligence period during which the district will bring in its architects and engineering firms to go through the property and estimate costs of renovations and improvements, according to a statement from Jennifer Waterman, District 230’s director of communications.
These architects and engineers will provide a cost analysis, she said, and the board will decide if the purchase is cost-effective or not.
She said If the purchase moves forward, the property will initially house the maintenance department, and the board will keep an eye on future opportunities for building uses, including office space, meeting and training center, or other uses.
The Board said in late June they intended to purchase the facility to ensure the district’s maintenance department has the resources to be functional, as the department now operates out of a structure built in the 1960s that does not have electricity, gas or drinkable running water, according to District 230 Superintendent Robert Nolting.
The new property could also house five to six district programs down the road, such as an adult learning program, alternative learning for students who struggle and career readiness, Nolting said in July.
Several board members in late June expressed urgency to purchase the property while it was still available, but the board delayed until the fate of another property could be decided.
The board intended to sell a 36-acre district property on South 108th Avenue, on the market for $2.57 million, and use the proceeds to purchase the property on 163rd street, but could not come to an agreement and halted those discussions in September.
Waterman said at the time that board members decided they wanted more time to make a well-informed decision on what the new property could be used for and what costs the district could incur.
Waterman said Friday if the board moves forward with the purchase, the district may continue to discuss the sale of the 108th Avenue property as a funding source for the new property.
The board set the Willow Grove sale price at just under $2.68 million in September in case they decide to sell it, but paused taking action on either of the properties.
Waterman said discussions are that the two properties are intertwined, but the board did not vote to sell the Willow Grove property Thursday night when they voted to purchase the property on 163rd Street.