Should Park District Acquire Borg Warner Plant: Referendum

FRANKFORT, IL — On April 6, Frankfort voters will have a non-binding referendum question on the ballot from the Frankfort Park District. The park district will ask voters if it should acquire the Borg Warner plant to improve and develop an indoor recreational space and outdoor athletic facilities.

This referendum is non-binding, and its purpose is to gauge community support, the park district said.

The question residents will see on the ballot is:

"Should the Frankfort Park District acquire and improve the site of the Borg Warner Plant, located at 300 Maple Street in Frankfort and consisting of approximately 26 acres, for the purpose of developing, improving, and operating an indoor recreational space and outdoor athletic facilities and finance the purchase and renovation of the project by issuing bonds that will result in a property tax increase?"

Last year, Borg Warner announced it will close its facility at the end of 2021. With the announcement of the closing, the Frankfort Park District Board of Commissioners saw an opportunity to provide improved programs and amenities designed to enrich the lives of Frankfort residents for generations, the district said in a release.

The board held a special meeting on Jan. 19 to discuss the benefits of exploring the acquisition of the property and voted unanimously to ask residents to weigh in on the issue for the April 6
election.

“The board decided to place an advisory, or non-binding referendum question on the ballot for the April 6 Consolidated election regarding the property, so our community can help plan what is best for the future,” Gina Hassett, Executive Director, said in a release.

The Borg Warner facility is located adjacent to the Park District’s Main Park and the district’s maintenance facility, the district said in the release. The park district currently has an agreement with Borg Warner to utilize the baseball field on their property.

The acquisition of the Borg Warner site would allow the park district to evaluate insufficient facilities that are in need of significant capital investment and provide a community-centric location for indoor and outdoor recreational activities like swimming, fitness, turf fields, sports, a preschool and more, the district said.

If residents show support for the referendum, the park district said it will begin a community engagement program for the design and build of the new campus. The park district will then consider a binding referendum for the 2022 election.

The Borg Warner facility is currently priced at $7.5 million.

According to Hassett, this is just the first vote in the process. Residents would still have to approve the total price tag for the project.

“If residents vote yes in April, the District will move forward with evaluating costs and developing plans for the recreational amenities the community wants. They would vote to approve the project in 2022," she said.

Should the April referendum fail, the park district would lose access to the existing ball field, and the property will remain vacant until it’s sold as an industrial operating plant or the area is rezoned for development, the park district said.

The April referendum will not impact the residents’ tax bill, but it will provide the park district staff and board with a clear direction for the future, the district said.