LANSING, Ill. (March 7, 2024) – The Lansing Village Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, March 5 to discuss and vote on village business, including redevelopment of the Public Works facility, a business development plan on Thornton-Lansing Road, and restoring the roof of the Ford Hangar. The Board also voted to approve a variety of proposals made at the February 20 Board meeting, and congratulated the winner of the Vehicle Sticker Design Contest.
Vehicle Sticker contest winner
Lansing Village Clerk Vivian Payne congratulated the winner of the Vehicle Sticker Design Contest, Jacob Granados. The Memorial Jr. High sixth-grader submitted his artwork in response to this year’s prompt, “Love living in Lansing.” His design — which features two arms hugging a heart-shaped earth — will be seen on roughly 15,000 vehicles in Lansing.
This year marks the second year the Village partnered with the Lansing Human Relations Commission to organize the contest. Stickers are available for purchase annually starting May 1.
Granados won a framed copy of his design, a $50 gift card to Beggar’s Pizza, and a $50 gift card to Gayety’s.
Redevelopment of Thornton-Lansing Road property
During the Committee of the Whole meeting, Marv and Sherry Bult made a presentation to the board, explaining their plans to move the operations of their trucking company, Double M Trucking, to the property southeast of the intersection of Thornton-Lansing Road and Stony Island Avenue. The pair is requesting a Class 8 Tax Incentive and a TIF redevelopment agreement for the property, which is currently owned by the Village.
The site will include an office, a maintenance garage, and ample space for the heavy-haul trucking company to operate, with immediate access to Thornton-Lansing Road.
“Thornton-Lansing Road is the premiere heavy-haul route through the south suburbs right now,” said Marv Bult.
Marv and Sherry said they live a block-and-a-half south of the proposed development, and have worked for about four years toward their goal of moving their trucking operations there.
Sherry Bult said a goal in the developing the property, which is currently an overgrown lot, is to make it an attractive entrance to the Village.
“Our desire is to make this a lovely gateway into Lansing,” Sherry Bult said. “All season, we’ll have color in the landscaping. … I’m just looking forward to making this a beautiful sight.”
The proposed agreement states that the Village will provide $208,000 in reimbursement money for the redevelopment. The Village-owned property currently generates no tax dollars for the Village, and the finished property is estimated to generate $45,000—55,000, according to Village Administrator Dan Podgorski.
If approved, the Bults said they plan to start construction in April, with a goal to finish before the end of the year.
Ford Hangar restoration
Jim Maciejewski of JMA Architects presented the Committee of the Whole with a plan to use a $500,000 grant the Village received to continue rehabilitation of the Ford Hangar. The first priority, he said, is to replace the upper hangar roof, and the lower roof on the west side of the historic building.
“It will be completely torn off and re-roofed,” Maciejewski said.
Beyond roofing issues, the grant money will also focus on remedying facade issues on the west side of the hangar, Maciejewski said, add that a top-down approach to rehabbing the space ensures water issues won’t affect future work.
The Board will vote at a future meeting to authorize going out to bid for the projects.
Public Works facility redevelopment
Maciejewski and Village Engineer Jeff Pintar presented the Committee of the Whole with demolition and construction plans that will redevelop the existing Public Works facility near the intersection of Burnham Avenue and 170th Street.
“Phase zero” of the plan will include demolition of a portion of an existing manufacturing building owned by Public Works. Further stages of the plan will add an office and emergency operations center, as well as additions to the existing vehicle and shop building, and the maintenance building. A new fuel island is also included in the plan.
“We’ve been talking about this for probably just over a decade. Kudos to the Village for having this master plan, and not just rushing into building a building,” said Jeff Pintar.
The office will be placed near Burnham Avenue, to allow for easy public access.
“It shouldn’t get past us how long this has been anticipated, how patient the Public Works people have been. They’ve been operating out of mobile offices for all these years,” Jerry Zeldenrust said.
Village trustees will vote to approve going out to bid for the demolition portion of the project at an upcoming meeting.
“We’re looking at a June or July demolition,” Pintar said.
Other notable items
- Mayor Patty Eidam shared with the board a gift from Chris Meister of the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation, a non-profit that honors the work of architect Albert Kahn, who designed the Ford Hangar. The gift from Meister was a framed copy of an article published in Aero Digest Magazine in 1927 about the Ford Hangar.
- The Board approved a Facade Program application for Dave Davila, owner of 3332 Ridge Road, in the amount of $16,950.
- The Board approved a grant agreement with the State regarding funds for sidewalk replacement along Ridge Road. The Board also voted to authorize engineering work to start on the project.
- In the Committee of the Whole meeting, Dan Podgorski presented an extension of the Ridge Road Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. The extension pertains to the time the district will exist, not the geographical boundaries of it.
- The Village promoted the 15th annual Village Clean Up Day, which take place this year on April 20. Those interested can register on the Village’s website. Last year, collectors gathered 1.52 tons of trash throughout Lansing.
- Two public comments were made at the meeting:
- Carla, of Carla’s Supper Club said her experience trying to open her business in Lansing has been challenging. “[My problems] are related to not caring what the business person is trying to accomplish,” she said.
- Lansing Public Library Director Lisa Korajczyk encouraged the public to enjoy a collaboration between the library and The Lansing Journal: the weather photo gallery. She invited the public to the gallery open house at the library on Monday, March 11, from 5–7 p.m.
Learn more
Village Board meetings typically occur at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month in the Village Courtroom, located at 2710 170th Street. To contact a trustee or Village official, visit VillageofLansing.org.
Unsure how Village Board meetings work, or what trustees do? Click below to view The Lansing Journal’s video guide:
Want to learn what happened at the February 20 meeting? We’ve got you covered there too:
I absolutely LOVE this sticker! Congrats to Jacob!