Despite concerns in some quarters that demand for assisted-living facilities has slowed, the DuPage Housing Authority is pushing ahead with ambitious plans to convert the former St. Paschal Friary into residences for the elderly.

At a meeting Wednesday, housing authority board members authorized their lawyer to seek zoning approval for the plan from the Village of Oak Brook. Board members also heard presentations from three investment banking firms looking to underwrite the $17 million in tax-exempt bonds the authority anticipates will be needed to pay for the project.

The housing authority hopes to begin moving tenants into the building in 2003, but there were a few words of caution Wednesday for board members. “This deal is not a slam dunk,” said James M. Snyder, a lawyer with the firm of Wildman Harrold Allen & Dixon and the authority's bond counsel. “We’ve got to sell the project.”

With the aging of the U.S. population, developers jumped in to build facilities in the 1990s for older adults who do not need nursing-home care. But some in the industry now believe the market has been overbuilt, particularly upscale facilities. Obtaining financing for assisted-living facilities is “becoming more and more difficult because of the competition,” said John B. Irons Jr., a vice president of Legg Mason Wood Walker Inc., a Baltimore-based investment house.

In its printed materials, Legg Mason noted that “investor demand for bonds issued for both senior living and health-care providers has been minimal since mid-1999.”

St. Paschal Friary, an imposing stone and red-brick building that faces Illinois Highway 83 south of Oak Brook Road, was once home to a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers. In 1992 the DuPage County Forest Preserve District acquired the building as part of its $17.5 million purchase of the 89-acre Mayslake property in Oak Brook.

The Forest Preserve District bought the property for open space. The building has been empty for most of the past 10 years. Seeking to avoid the cost of maintaining or demolishing the building, the Forest Preserve Commission agreed in January 2000 to sell the friary and about 4.5 acres to the housing authority for $1. The sale will not be completed until the housing authority wins zoning approval from Oak Brook and arranges financing.

The housing authority's plans call for extensive remodeling to create 73 units—mostly one-bedroom apartments—as well as meeting rooms, medical offices, a gift shop, a library and facilities for banking services.

Winning zoning approval may be a bit tricky because Oak Brook’s regulations do not now allow for multifamily housing.

But there seems to be no serious opposition to the project, and John Howlett, the authority's chief lawyer, told board members he expects approval from Oak Brook as long as the authority follows the steps recommended by village staffers.

For financing, the investment bankers appeared to favor a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program that provides federal insurance for long-term, tax-exempt bonds issued by agencies such as the housing authority.

In addition to Legg Mason, the other investment banking firms invited to pitch their services Wednesday were NatCity Investments Inc., a unit of Cleveland-based National City Corp., and Chicago-based Ziegler Capital Markets Group.

The man charged with supervising efforts to open the Peabody Mansion has resigned, a move DuPage County Forest Preserve District leaders hope will not stall plans for the historic home. Jerry Bulifant, whose last day was Friday, said he has taken a job overseeing Midwest operations for Cendant Corp., a company with interests in hotels, rental cars, real estate brokerages and other businesses worldwide. Several Forest Preserve District commissioners and staff members said Bulifant will be missed.

Commissioner Olivia Gow (R-Elmhurst), former head of the Operations Committee overseeing the Peabody Mansion renovation, said she was happy for Bulifant but upset for the district. “It’s a loss,” she said. “Will it slow us down? I hope not.”

Officials with the Mayslake Landmark Conservancy said they fear Bulifant’s resignation, after 1-½ years, may cause delays in the mansion’s opening. The conservancy is a non-profit group that has at times had a contentious relationship with the Forest Preserve District while trying to operate the mansion.

“Mr. Bulifant’s resignation comes at a time when a significant construction project at Mayslake is about to commence,” David Fichter, the conservancy president, wrote in a recent letter to the district. “The conservancy recognizes that Mr. Bulifant’s departure comes at a critical time, given the implementation schedule for this construction project.”

A total of $2.6 million in work will begin soon in the 39-room mansion and adjoining retreat wing. The renovations are to include heating the mansion and the wing, as well as adding ramps and sprinkler systems. Air conditioning will be added, and asbestos will be removed. Once completed, the mansion and wing should be opened to the public, officials have said.

Gow said she is happy the contracts have been approved and isn’t too worried that Bulifant’s departure will hinder the work. She said the district will miss his professionalism and knowledge of the building and the work it needed. “We have other people in place who will be able to oversee the contractors, but Jerry’s presence will be missed,” Gow said.

Bulifant, a 30-year veteran of hotel-motel management and tourism, said he did not seek the job with Cendant, saying the company offered him a job he could not refuse. “It was a tough decision, but there are real issues between the forest preserve and the Mayslake Landmark Conservancy that need to be resolved,” he said. “And, yes, that was part of my decision to leave.”

In 1999 the district began taking a more active role in trying to open the mansion and in the process relegated the conservancy to a secondary role. Conservancy members have occasionally been critical of the Forest Preserve District’s tactics, saying the district has pushed the group out of the way, even though the conservancy was instrumental nearly a decade ago in saving the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In recent weeks the Operations Committee, forest preserve staff members and conservancy leaders have spoken about the conservancy’s future role. Several commissioners have expressed hope that the conservancy will stop trying to manage the facility and instead begin focusing solely on raising money for work at the mansion.

Bulifant had few harsh words for his former employers, pinning most of the blame on the conservancy. “They don’t treat Forest Preserve District personnel, of which I was one, as their equals,” he said. “My meetings with them were very stormy.” Fichter said in his letter to the district that he was disappointed. “We would hope that the district would convey to Mr. Bulifant the conservancy’s thanks for his many efforts,” Fichter wrote.

In the most detailed report to date, DuPage County Forest Preserve District officials Thursday said they are now estimating the cost of renovating the Peabody Mansion in Oak Brook to be around $7.5 million.The figure is the highest dollar amount ever floated by the Forest Preserve District for the project. It would convert the mansion--on the grounds of the Mayslake Forest Preserve--from an aging building to a restored historic estate.

But the high dollar figure is causing some concern among forest preserve commissioners, who are wondering where the money will come from.The district currently has only $3 million set aside for the project. Next year the district plans to ask for an additional $5 million from the state, but commissioners aren't confident they will receive all of that money.Last year, the district asked for $3 million for the mansion renovation but only received $1 million.

"Other funding may or may not happen," Commissioner Michael Formento (R-Glen Ellyn) said. "It might be four years before we get the facility fully running."

Developed by Dan Griffin, head of the district's Department of Operations, the report calls for more than three dozen capital improvements to the mansion, costing roughly $7.5 million. That total would also go toward myriad improvements, from a renovated main entrance gateway to additional parking to a completely renovated mansion building.

"This would bring the mansion to a stage where it is open for complete public use," Griffin said.So far, commissioners have been focused mostly on making just the bare-bones improvements to the mansion, such as adding sprinklers and making the building compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. That work would be enough to get the mansion open to the public but would offer no amenities or even furniture.

But many commissioners believe that simply getting the mansion's doors open could solve the financing dilemma. Once people can get inside the estate and see its current condition, with water-stained carpeting and deteriorating walls, they will be willing to donate money for the preservation, many commissioners reason.

On Tuesday commissioners looked to up their own ante when the commission's Operations Committee agreed to spend an additional $250,000 for new air conditioning and heating systems. That proposal will be forwarded to the full Forest Preserve Commission.

Griffin said he unveiled his report to give commissioners a heads-up on what's to come with the Peabody, which some commissioners have described as a money pit.

"We've known these things for some time, but we wanted it to be clear to the commissioners what this project entails," Griffin said.Timing for when the work will be completed, however, remains up in the air.While Forest Preserve District officials are hopeful that the mansion will be open to the public by next year, it remains unclear when the rest of the work will be done, Griffin said.

"A lot of this is detail that needs to be worked out," he said. "It deals with contractors and timing and a lot of issues that are uncertain."

On the same day talks over the Mayslake mansion in Oak Brook apparently failed between the DuPage County Forest Preserve District and the volunteer group that runs the mansion, a district panel recommended locking the group out of the historic building.

Backing up a threat they made last week, members of the Forest Preserve District's Operations Committee on Thursday voted to stop allowing the Mayslake Landmark Conservancy to have offices and hold meetings inside the mansion.

Thursday's action also called for displacing the Garden Club of Illinois, which has worked with the conservancy to renovate the estate and has offices in the mansion.

Both measures are to be considered by the full Forest Preserve District Commission. Although conservancy leaders questioned the timing of the move, Forest Preserve District commissioners said the decision had little to do with the breakdown in negotiations over the proposed deal. Instead, they determined the physical makeup of the mansion, built in 1922, has deteriorated so much it is in violation of county building codes and is dangerous to occupants.

"We have a liability issue here, and we need to address it," said Olivia Gow (R-Elmhurst), chairwoman of the Operations Committee. "Even if they had signed the agreement, we'd be looking at these issues." But conservancy President David Fichter was skeptical of the committee's reasoning. "The timing is rather suspicious or unusual," he said.

The conservancy in 1995 signed a deal through 2005 to repair and run the mansion, which the Forest Preserve District purchased a few years earlier. But after group leaders acknowledged they could not raise enough money, the Forest Preserve District Commission last year agreed to spend up to $1 million to bring the mansion up to code. In exchange for that money, though, the district wanted to replace the 1995 contract with a deal in which the Forest Preserve Commission would run the mansion and the conservancy would act as a "support agency."

But disagreements about the wording of the new contract persisted between both sides. Last week, the Operations Committee gave the conservancy until two days ago to sign the deal. Fichter said his group's leadership could not sign the proposed contract as it was written because, among other things, they did not think it guaranteed the district would honor contracts the conservancy has with other agencies to use the property. The organization has deals with groups including the Garden Club and First Folio Shakespeare and has rented out the estate for weddings and other events. We must honor those agreements, and the contract they wanted us to sign would not have guaranteed that those contracts would be abided by," Fichter said. "They are asking us to do things we legally can't do." Gow said Fichter's assessment of the proposed contract is incorrect and that it would guarantee those contracts. "We have said that at least a half-dozen times," Gow said. "We will guarantee those deals."

Fichter said if an agreement could be reached on those issues, it is possible all the fighting between the two sides could end. But on Thursday, one day after the deadline the Operations Committee had set for the conservancy to sign the deal, Commissioner Michael Formento (R-Glen Ellyn) said it was too late. The debate about the proposed contract is over, he said. "The proposed deal is dead," he said. "It's gone." Commissioners said they now plan to hold the conservancy to the letter of the 1995 contract, which is in effect until 2005. "We will abide by the existing agreement and insist the conservancy abide by every sentence of it," Commissioner Paul Didzerekis (R-Wheaton) said. "We're not going to be wishy-washy on this."

Forest Preserve District staff will be closely watching any events that might take place at the mansion, which was built by coal baron Francis Peabody and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, to see whether the conservancy is in compliance with the 1995 contract. If they are found to be breaking any rules of the contract-such as entering: the building or using it for events-the 1995 contract could be terminated and the conservancy cut out from running the mansion altogether. Fichter said he still hopes some type of deal can be reached. "We'll do whatever it takes to get the doors open to the public," he said. "But I just don't think they are willing to listen to our concerns."

An ambitious plan to convert the former St. Paschal Friary in Oak Brook into an assisted-living facility for older adults moved a step forward Thursday when DuPage County Forest Preserve Commissioners agreed to begin negotiations that likely will lead to the sale of the property.

A Forest Preserve Commission committee voted to authorize staff to begin talks with the DuPage Housing Authority, which wants to acquire the imposing stone and red-brick building that once was home to a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers.

An agreement on the sale or transfer of the friary would allow the housing authority to seek zoning approval from Oak Brook for its proposal, which calls for preserving much of the building's exterior while creating 70 to 80 assisted-living apartments inside, as well as space for meeting rooms, medical services and a hair salon,

The friary was acquired by the Forest Preserve District in 1992, as part of a $17.5 million purchase of the 90-acre Mayslake estate at Illinois Highway 83 and Oak Brook Road. The district bought the estate to preserve the land as open space and has had little interest in making use of the friary.

The building has been mostly empty since the last of the Franciscans moved out in late 1991. After a lukewarm response in June, forest preserve commissioners now seem to be moving toward an agreement that would transfer the friary to the housing authority, contingent on zoning approval from Oak Brook, a conservation easement and other conditions.

"I'm willing to pay them to take the building," said a joking Dan Griffin, director of operations for the Forest Preserve District. The housing authority has said it plans to finance the renovation of the friary by issuing $l0 million to $20 minion in tax exempt bonds.

John Day, the agency's executive director, said the authority has retained an accounting firm to refine its financing plans and has completed a marketing study.

He urged forest preserve commissioners to move forward with the transfer of the property, noting that the friary's roof is in need of repair.

"What we're looking for is to enter into negotiations that would lead to some sort of agreement and then proceed with our zoning request," Day told members of the forest preserve's Operations Committee. Time is starting to get very precious here."

After the meeting, Day said the housing authority could use some of its own funds for emergency roof repairs once there is a preliminary agreement to acquire the building.

Any agreement on the transfer would require approval from the Forest Preserve Commission and the housing authority board.

The housing authority seeks to acquire the friary building as well as some of the surrounding property for use as parking and grounds. Requiring a conservation easement would allow the Forest Preserve District to regain control of the property if the housing authority was unable to complete the project, said Commissioner Paul Didzerekis (R-Wheaton), an Operations Committee member.

The friary project would be a significant new venture for the housing authority. Throughout its existence, the authority's chief business has been administering the local end of the federal Section 8 program, which provides rent-subsidy vouchers and certificates to low-income people.

Under Section 8, tenants are free to find apartments on their own in buildings managed by willing landlords. About 18 percent of the vouchers in DuPage are held by senior citizens; Day has said. Unlike the giant Chicago Housing Authority and many of its smaller suburban counterparts, the DuPage Housing Authority owns no public housing unites.

Reviving a deal once described as dead, a volunteer agency involved in running the historic Peabody Mansion in Oak Brook has signed an agreement with the DuPage County Forest Preserve District that brings the mansion closer to being opened to the public.

The last-minute decision Monday night by the non-profit Mayslake Landmark Conservancy ends a months long fray with the district over the shuttered 1922 mansion once owned by coal baron Francis Peabody. The district bought the property seven years ago with the consent of voters.

The pact was made final Tuesday, when it was approved by the full Forest Preserve Commission. It relegates the conservancy to a secondary role in running the mansion, which will be controlled by the Forest Preserve District. With the contentiousness apparently behind them, both sides claimed the accord signals a new era of cooperation in which major renovations soon will begin on the deteriorating mansion to get it open by this time next year. "This is a big step forward in getting the mansion open and allowing residents to see what they paid for," Commissioner Paul Didzerekis (R-Wheaton) said.

In 1992 the Forest Preserve District bought the 90-acre Mayslake estate at Illinois Highway 83 and Oak Brook Road as part of a $17.5 million referendum purchase. The district bought the estate to preserve the land as open space and had little interest in making use of the mansion or the St. Paschal Friary, which also is on the property.

Conservancy leaders interested in preserving the Tudor mansion, however, persuaded the Forest Preserve District in 1995 to save the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The conservancy had been running the mansion since then, holding events on the estate.

The mansion was never opened because it is not up to building code requirements. "In four years, the forest preserve has changed its mind from wanting to tear down the buildings to promising to open them with their money," Conservancy President David Fichter said. "It took a lot of effort from a lot of people to do that. Today is a great day."

The district wants to use the mansion like it does the Danada property in Wheaton for functions such as weddings. Plans by the County are in the works to turn the friary, which has little historic value, into an assisted-living center for older adults.

The Forest Preserve District has promised to spend $1 million to bring the mansion up to code, but another $2 million is needed to complete the project. Neither the district nor the conservancy has the $2 million, said Dan Griffin, district director of operations.

The Forest Preserve District will lobby federal and state agencies for grants, and the conservancy will seek donations from corporations and foundations.

"When you think about it, $2 million is not too wild of an amount, knowing the Forest Preserve District is involved," Fichter said. "With that kind of support, I'm sure we can accomplish that goal."

Such talk of cooperation was almost unheard of as recently as last week, when Forest Preserve District commissioners announced the proposed deal was dead after the conservancy board failed to sign the agreement by a deadline.

The two sides had been arguing about the deal's wording, with the conservancy wanting a guarantee that the district would honor the conservancy's contracts with other agencies, such as First Folio Shakespeare and the Garden Club of Illinois, to use the property.

On Friday, Griffin faxed a letter with the guarantee. Fichter said that on Sunday and Monday, he conducted a telephone poll with the nine other members of the conservancy board and found the minority wanted to sign the deal.

The signed agreement was faxed to the Forest Preserve District Monday night. Conservancy board member Howard Trier, who did not endorse the new agreement, said the district did not negotiate the deal but rather forced the issue. "It was not a collaborative relationship," he said. "It's a one-way relationship."

As general assistant to the Forest Preserve District, the conservancy's new duties will include recruiting volunteers, preserving historical archives, running a yet-to-be-built bookstore and raising funds from private donors.

Forest preserve commissioners on Tuesday did approve a measure that forces the conservancy and the Garden Club of Illinois to move their offices out of the mansion because of concerns about safety in the decaying mansion. But district leaders said temporary offices will be offered to the two groups.

"Like any reconciliation, there might be parts yet to work out, but I think each of us has a great deal to contribute," Commissioner Olivia Gow (R-Elmhurst) said. "Sometimes relationships are better when the air is cleared. It's clear now."

A marketing analysis done for the DuPage Housing Authority says estimated rents for an assisted-living center it proposes to build at the former St. Paschal Friary in Oak Brook would be competitive with fees charged by existing facilities in the county.

The housing authority was criticized in June when officials disclosed that fees could be as high as $3,000 a month at the former friary that the agency plans to convert into an assisted-living center for older adults. The friary once was home to a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers.

The analysis by a consultant with expertise in marketing and the management of assisted-living communities indicates that monthly fees in the range of $2,950 to $3,600 would be comparable to what nine such centers in DuPage and western Cook County are expected to charge in the next year.

The housing authority is pushing ahead with plans to create 70 to 80 units in the stone and red-brick friary, which has been mostly empty since 1992, when the property was acquired by the DuPage Forest Preserve District. The friary is on the east edge of what is now the 90-acre Mayslake Forest Preserve, near Illinois Highway 83 and Oak Brook Road.

The Forest Preserve District acquired the property for open space and had not expressed interest in preserving the friary building. The housing authority is seeking to acquire from the two agencies are scheduled to begin next week. Some forest preserve commissioners suggested the proposed rents are too high.

But the marketing report indicates that the estimates are "in the ballpark," said Arthur Donner, chairman of the housing authority's board.

The authority also plans to set aside some units as affordable housing, which would rent for less. The report also seems to resurrect concerns about putting the center in a building that is relatively isolated from nearby communities.

The consultant acknowledges that the setting is "picturesque" but recommends that the housing authority rely on billboards "in addition to a comprehensive advertising and collateral package" to promote the friary.

"Because of the friary's isolated locale, there will be little street traffic or walk-in shoppers," the report states. The analysis recommends that the center provides free transportation to residents for shopping, theater and other trips, nurses on duty around the clock, guest suites and other amenities. "At least two apartments should be beautifully furnished as guest suites," the report says. "These can be used as an excellent source of revenue for out-of-town family visits by adult children and grandchildren."

Donner said he considers the report to be a draft and noted-that the housing authority has not decided what amenities might be included. "But if we build this thing correctly, we won't need to go out and put up billboards," he said.

DUPAGE COUNTY

Hearing planned on friary pact-February 1998

A DuPage County Forest Preserve Commission committee is scheduled to hold a hearing this week on the revocation of an agreement with a non-profit group.

The group, Atelier International, had wanted to establish a cultural arts education center in the St. Paschal's Friary building at the Mayslake Forest Preserve in Oak Brook.

Atelier International has requested the Operations Committee hearing to show that the group is capable of maintaining and operating the building and that the group can meet its responsibilities under the licensing agreement.

The commission in January voted to terminate the 2 1/2-year-old agreement because Atelier allegedly failed to meet its responsibilities.

8:30 am Thursday at the Forest Preserve District headquarters, 158 Spring Ave., Glen Ellyn.

(Comment: St. Paschal's has been a "white elephant" for a long time. One of the reasons the building cannot be used is that it must have a fire sprinkler system installed. But in order to get funds to pay for it, there have to be events open to the public that can raise the cash. A vicious circle.)

FRIARY DESERVES FRESH APPROACH

The demise of Atelier International's plans to create an arts center is a signal that shouldn't be ignored. The challenge not only is to find the right occupant or occupants for the friary, but to make any future endeavors work financially.

Atelier couldn't pay for the sprinkler system or other work needed for occupancy because it couldn't raise the needed funds with the building closed to the public. That approach clearly doesn't work.

Some money might be available through the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, which owns the property. But there can never be enough taxpayer money to pay for all projects of this type.

The 110,000-square-foot, handcrafted building could be perfect for educational use: it has laboratory areas, classroom-sized spaces, rooms that would be ideal for offices and even a central eating area.

The College of DuPage as well as many Chicago schools are establishing satellite outposts. Many businesses likewise are in the education mode, running seminary and setting up classes for various employee certifications. Oak Brook is ideally located for students to come in from anywhere in the metropolitan area, and its proximity to O'Hare Airport would make it a wonderful place for employees from out of town.

It is possible that some no-strings corporate support is possible, and this avenue definitely should be pursued. But given the recent streamlining most companies are experiencing, a more viable approach might be to open up at least part of the building to education. An individual school or company might need only a portion of the building, and that would be the section for which they would make needed safety improvements.

Given the size of the building, there still would be room available for interested arts groups. But no one group would have to bear the crushing burden of upgrading and maintaining the whole friary.

Although this is a sad time for Atelier, its legacy can be positive if it stimulates the creative thinking necessary to make this beautiful building a success.

(Editorial opinion page, The Hinsdale Doings, Friday, April 10, 1998, page 18)

A group of DuPage County Forest Preserve District officials got a close look Wednesday at the handcrafted solid oak wooden doors and the hewn stone walls that grace the friary on the Mayslake Forest Preserve.

But they also saw buckets sitting in the middle of the woodworking studio to catch water from roof leaks, stepped on a squishy roof section and saw gaping holes in some ceiling areas.

The future of the friary, the 130,000-square-foot building that formerly housed Franciscan [sic] monks, is in the hands of the Forest commission. Commissioners Wally Brown (R-3, Downers Grove), Roger Jenisch (R-1, Bloomingdale), Alice Peterson (R-5, Woodridge), James Healy (R-5, Naperville) and Olivia Gow (R-2, Elmhurst) joined Forest District Director of Operations Dan Griffin and former building caretaker Clint Firestone on a tour of the premises.

John Day, executive director of the DuPage County Housing Authority, also attended the tour. Day, who runs the program providing federal housing assistance for the needy, said he was there to look at the property but did not elaborate further.

The building is now vacant, following the failure of Atelier International to convert it into a cultural arts center. Griffin will present commissioners May 28 with a draft request for proposals to solicit ideas from groups who want to occupy the friary.

"Right now, we don't have any clear commission direction whether to go for proposals, sell the building or tear it down. The likelihood is we will go out for RFPs again," Griffin said.

Interested groups are to submit proposals in keeping with the district's statutory purposes. Those include education, recreation, natural resource management, selling and making gravel and selling agricultural and forest products, Griffin said. The property also could be used as a golf course, museum, nature center and botanical garden.

Recent discussions about the friary have included use by the College of DuPage and the Salt Creek Ballet. Occupancy thus far has been the critical issue-Atelier couldn't raise the money to do basic repairs, life-safety work and the minimum handicapped accessibility work because the group couldn't hold events in the building to raise money.

The basic improvements needed for occupancy total $995,000; the price tag for a total refurbishing is $6.0 million, Griffin said.

Several commissioners on the tour said they would like to see the building saved.

"I'm hopeful we'll be able to open it up to a group or groups, so everyone in the county can enjoy what they purchased through the 1992 referendum," Gow said.

The basic decision is whether the building should be kept, Brown said. "If we're going to keep it, we have to do these basic repairs," he said. "There's got to be a use for it."

The friary, as well as the Peabody Mansion on the west end of the preserve, are the most impressive government-owned buildings in the county and might be the most impressive of any type in the area, Peterson said.

"It would be a crime to tear it down," she said. "But the question is who is going to pay for this?"

Enough commissioners would support keeping the friary standing as long as potential tenants can present a complete business plan, Jenisch said. He suggested the building would lend itself to multiple uses.

"It would be better to have five or six tenants in the building paying rent to the Forest Preserve District rather than a single tenant," he said.

The building might lend itself to educational use, which even could involve colleges or universities from other states, Jenisch said.

College of DuPage Says It Might Be Interested in St. Paschal Friary

The College of DuPage may be interested in using St. Paschal Friary in the Mayslake Forest Preserve near Oak Brook for some of its programs, but will not commit money to restoring the building, the college's president confirmed Thursday.

President Michael Murphy envisions students getting hands-on internships in college programs like horticulture and interior design. The building could also be used for the college's summer outdoor recreation program. Murphy said he has discussed some of these uses with a group of preservationists led by Oak Brook resident Lisa Gengler.

But Murphy said the college would not spend funds to help get the friary ready for public use, estimated by the DuPage County Forest Preserve District at $1 million.

"This is only at the potential exploration point. COD has some interest in programming (at the friary) should the project be financially feasible," Murphy said. "It's going to take a great deal of work to bring it up to code, and that should be addressed before the programming."

Possible use of the friary by the college could change a coming debate that is expected to decide the fate of the 40-year-old building and whether the district will use public funds to keep the building from deteriorating further.

Forest commissioners on June 2 will decide if outside groups should submit plans to maintain and operate the building, find a district use for it, mothball it, or tear it down. A recommendation on seeking requests for proposals from non-profit groups will go before the Operations Committee on May 28.

"If there is some potential use by COD of the building, that changes the ballgame," said Commissioner Robert Day of Hinsdale, who favors preserving the building.

But other commissioners said that use and money go hand in hand. William Maio of Itasca, who chairs the Land Acquisition Committee, said no public funds should be spent on restoring the building without a complete plan. A proposal to make repairs with funds set aside years ago to buy other property is currently stalled in Maio's committee until potential use of the building is determined.

The district bought the friary, the nearby Peabody Mansion and the grounds with a $17.5 million bond sale approved by voters in 1992. And using taxpayers' dollars to restore the buildings was at the heart of the debate when the 90-acre estate was bought. As then, some commissioners say the district should not commit any money to restoring the facility. Others say they want to see a detailed use and financial plan before committing any money to restoring the building.

But some commissioners now feel that funds have to be committed to making repairs or organizations won't come forward with proposals. An arts education center was the proposed use of the friary by Atelier International until the group's licensing agreement was revoked for failing to pay $60,000 in utility bills.

In a related matter, commissioners Thursday decided that the Mayslake Landmark Conservancy, which operates and maintains the Peabody Mansion, will have to pay the mansion's utilities.

The district had paid the water, gas and other major utilities for two years as part of its licensing agreement with the conservancy. That clause expired April 30.

Staff will now negotiate with the group on how much the group will pay for its utilities. A report is expected May 28.

DEBATE CONTINUES OVER USE, FUNDING FOR MAYSLAKE LAND
By Lisa Black, Chicago Tribune

After five years of struggling over how to best use the Mayslake mansion and friary on 90 acres in Oak Brook, members of the Forest Preserve District commission appear, once again, to be at odds over how to proceed.

During an Operations Committee meeting Thursday, the wide-ranging debate over cost estimates for repair and business plans became contentious at times.

Meanwhile, the hand-built friary and historic Peabody Mansion, whose $17.5 million purchase was approved by taxpayers in a 1992 bond referendum, remain unsafe and inaccessible to the public, officials reminded each other. "I think we were all unrealistic when we thought the buildings could open without our help," Olivia Gow (R-Elmhurst), who heads the committee, said later. "Just getting things up to code was much more expensive than anyone imagined."

Gow compared the arguments to the chicken-and-egg conundrum. Which should come first: the expenditure of several million dollars to bring the buildings up to code and then find uses for them? Or should commissioners figure out which public or private groups will operate the buildings and renovate to their needs?

Issues that need to be resolved include federal tax implications of allowing private cultural groups to operate out of the tax-exempt buildings. The committee Thursday did agree to recommend to the full commission the refinancing of bonds issued for Mayslake land. The new bonds could be taxable and pose fewer problems for private groups. The $40,000 cost to refinance might be offset by lower interest rates, officials said.

Currently, a private group, the Mayslake Landmark Conservancy, operates the mansion with hopes of opening it within a year as a historical showcase. The Forest Preserve District Commission had approved lending the conservancy $1 million to meet building codes, but now officials are disputing the figures. A consultant has been hired to provide new estimates.

The friary was formerly operated by the private Atelier International organization. Commissioners, however, recently terminated the district's agreement with Atelier because the group could not pay utility bills.

Representatives from arts, cultural and educational organizations have expressed interest in setting up exhibits and teaching classes in the friary. But first, the representatives have said, the district must fix the roof and bring the friary up to code.

Some commissioners complained they want detailed cost estimates provided in one cohesive report rather than "piece-meal."

"After we get all the figures-and if there is a minor miracle and we get some state money to run this place, do we have a business plan so I won't look like a complete and utter fool?" said Carolyn M. Kulie (R-Wood Dale) about the friary.

Kulie, an influential commissioner who serves informally as the district's liaison to the legislature, suggested "we mothball the friary for a period of one year." During that time, she said, she will investigate if any state money will be available to offset renovation costs.

"If at the end of the session I don't bring in enough dollars to bring it up to code and a little more, then the commission decides to fish or cut bait," Kulie said.

The friary's projected costs, so far, range from $537,000 to $6.9 million, depending on which construction projects are completed. The district would have to pay about $1 million to replace the roof, meet federal regulations and install sprinklers. Other costs, such as providing air conditioning, have not yet been factored into estimates, Kulie said.

Despite the long-winded meeting, Gow said some good things resulted. "I felt we needed to hash out a lot of things because of a difference in opinions," Gow said.

11 GROUPS SUBMIT PLANS FOR FRIARY:
Mayslake site draws variety of proposals

By Lisa Black
Tribune Staff Writer, Chicago Tribune, Friday, October 23, 1998, Section 2, page 7

Commercial interest in the hand-built St. Paschal Friary in Oak Brook looked very tempting to DuPage Forest Preserve District commissioners who took their first peeks Thursday at 11 formal proposals for use of the 92,000-square-foot building.

Twenty-two groups have toured the majestic red-brick building at the Mayslake Forest Preserve as the district hunts for potential managers to invest in improving and operating the site.

Five commercial enterprises, four non-profit groups, a college and a governmental body submitted proposals by Tuesday's deadline, said Dan Griffin, director of operations for the Forest Preserve District. "This is going to be a tough one because it's apples, oranges, pears-a fruit cocktail," Griffin told the commission's Operations Committee, alluding to the variety of responses.

He is to return to the committee in December with detailed descriptions of the proposals and their legal and financial implications.

Nearly every commercial group offered to pay for capital work that would bring the friary up to code, as well as enter into a lease that could generate revenue for the Forest Preserve District, Griffin said. Non-profit groups made no such promises.

But the district would have to seek a change in state legislation to allow profit-making organizations to use the building or pay off bonds Issued for purchase of the site. The friary sits on 90 acres of tax-exempt land and was purchased after voters approved a bond sale intended for open space. Private and non-profit organizations could be subject to restrictions limiting the length of their lease and profits generated, unless specific tax exemptions apply, attorneys have told the district.

"I'm just very pleased with the Interest," Commissioner Olivia Gow (R- Elmhurst) said.

Commercial proposals came from Old World Canterbury Village, a festival organization based near Detroit; Fioretti & Des Jardins Ltd. of Chicago, a specialty retail group; Knightsbridge Day School, an upscale preschool based in England; Sae Young Westmont-Chicago, LLC, a Chicago-based women's firm that restores historic buildings for community use; and Insignia/ESG Hotel Partners Inc. of Chicago, which wants to open a conference center and provide lodging.

Non-profit groups interested in the friary are the Institute In Basic Life Principles, a Christian organization with an Oak Brook campus that wants to use the friary to provide lodging for people attending its international seminars; the Great Lakes Puppetry Center, which would provide performances and classes; the DuPage Fine Arts Coalition; and the Midwest Center for the Arts and Humanities.

Others expressing interest were the College of DuPage, which wants to lease the friary for classroom space but would not pay for capital renovations, and the DuPage Housing Authority, which would like to convert the friary into a senior housing facility.

Forest Preserve pares friary proposals
Officials rule out commercial uses

SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE
Chicago Tribune, 12/14/98, Section 2, p. 1

After looking over nine proposals for the St. Paschal Friary at Mayslake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District commissioners have decided that four proposals by public and not-for-profit groups would best suit the Oak Brook property.

"Commissioners felt that a commercial use would restrict the public's use of the property," Dan Griffin, manager of operations for the Forest Preserve District, said after a meeting of the district's Operations Committee last week. "They also had concerns about building large parking lots on the grounds, which would take away open space."

A request for proposals to develop the deteriorating friary resulted in 22 groups touring the 92,000-square-foot facility. Nine organizations met the Oct. 20 deadline, with formal proposals ranging from senior housing and arts venues to retail stores and a religious training facility.

The groups making the committee's final cut are the DuPage Fine Arts Coalition, which wants to create a fine arts campus and gardens; Midwest Center for the Arts and Humanities, which proposed a center to support the arts and humanities; Great Lakes Puppetry Center, which wants to develop a family-oriented theater and workshop program in puppetry; and the DuPage Housing Authority, which would transform the friary into 80 rental units for senior citizens.

The decision to move toward these uses should expedite the renovation process, said committee Chairwoman Olivia Gow (R-Elmhurst). "The commercial proposals would require legislation" to amend the Forest Preserve District authority, Gow said. "And the longer we don't take care of the building, the more it deteriorates. It's been sitting there for 5 1/2 years, and it hasn't been open to the public-even though the public is paying for it."

The Forest Preserve bought the 90-acre Mayslake property for $17.5 million after voters approved a bond issue in 1992.

SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING GROUP
MIGHT OCCUPY MAYSLAKE FRIARY

The friary in the Mayslake property in Oak Brook might be converted to senior citizen housing under the auspices of the DuPage Housing Authority. The operations committee of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District unanimously recommended Thursday beginning negotiations with that agency. Housing authority representatives will be invited to address the committee at its next meeting, set for 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, in the board room of the DuPage County Complex, 421 County Farm Road, Wheaton. Committee members hope for a quick resolution regarding the use of the friary.

"I don't want this to drag on for three or four years," committee Chairman Olivia Gow (R-2, Elmhurst) said. Further delay will result in additional deterioration of the building, they said. "If this goes on another year, there will only be one option and it will be to tear it down," Commissioner Paul Didzerekis (R-4, Wheaton) said.

Because the 90-acre Mayslake property was purchased in 1993 with tax-exempt bonds, Internal Revenue Service restrictions limit to 5 percent the amount of the property that can be used by private groups. There is no limitation on how much of the site can be occupied by government agencies.

The Mayslake Landmark Conservancy, a private nonprofit group, occupies the Peabody mansion and surrounding area. That section, in the west portion of the Mayslake property, totals about 4 acres. Even if the retreat wing is included in that conservancy's licensing agreement, as proposed, the group's holdings would be less than 5 percent.

The district technically might be able to offer the use of the friary to a private group, but only if it pays off some or all of the bonds or enters into an extremely complex agreement with that group. The committee, which was in discussions with several nonprofit private groups, decided against attempting any of those approaches. Committee members asked staff to send letters to those groups indicating the district could not offer them the use of the premises.

The housing authority, the only government group to respond to the district's request for proposals, wants to convert the friary into 80 rental units for DuPage County residents older than 62. These would include some "affordable" units for people who need some care. The staff would live on the site. "The preference is for affordable assisted living where meals will be provided and health care available on a limited basis," the proposal states.

The group plans to rehabilitate the building while retaining its character and charm, the proposal states. However, additional construction is possible. "The DHA would also be interested in the right to develop auxiliary structures on the agreed-upon location, in particular the conversion of the parking structure to more independent living facilities," the proposal states.

Committee members noted that the housing authority typically turns over the management of its housing to private groups. Given the 5 percent limitation, they asked the attorneys to determine before the next committee meeting if such an arrangement would work.

The friary, handcrafted by Franciscan monks, is a 100,000-square-foot building on the east part of the district-owned property at the southwest corner of 31st Street and Route 83.

The DuPage County Forest Preserve District might seek to rezone a portion of the Mayslake property in Oak Brook to accommodate a proposal by the DuPage Housing Authority. The authority wants to convert the friary, on the east side of the Mayslake property at 31st Street and Route 83, into senior citizen housing.

"The zoning issue is there, but we hope it's not the kind of hurdle we can't overcome," operations committee Chairman Olivia Gow (R-2. Elmhurst) said Friday. The proposed use of the friary seems to conflict with the zoning of the site, which is in Oak Brook's conservation-recreation district. "The way it stands now, they could not do it," Oak Brook director of community development Tom Hawk said Tuesday.

Forest district officials are considering trying to rezone the friary area back to residential use. "It would be a matter of reverting to what it was," Gow said.

Before the district acquired the property in 1993, the entire Mayslake site was in the R-3 single-family residential district, Oak Brook village manager Stephen Veitch said. This district allows as a special use the residential development of existing buildings that are historically, architecturally or culturally significant.

However, there is some question whether the friary, built in stages from 1952 to 1964, is significant in those respects, Hawk said Tuesday. To use the building for senior housing, both a rezoning and a zoning text amendment might be needed, he said.

Hawk said he has explained the rezoning process, which includes a public hearing, to district and authority officials. Rezoning a portion of a property is possible, Hawk said. "A zoning district has to have a reasonable geographic boundary, but there is nothing that says you can't take a piece and put it into residential zoning," he said.

The operations committee Thursday asked the attorneys for the housing authority and the forest district to evaluate the pros and cons of various options. "We want to know whether we should lease to them, sell the building or perhaps some combination of their taking the building and our having conservation easements," Gow said. That analysis will be available in 60 days, she said. Gow said she is delighted housing authority officials want to provide room in the friary for cultural arts groups. "I hate to see that beautiful entrance way closed to the public," she said.

Housing for senior citizens will serve a countywide need, Gow said. "We are an aging population. When older people no longer want to take care of a home, many of them still want to remain in DuPage," she said.

The project includes constructing a parking lot for the residents, visitors and staff.

DuPage Forest Preserve District officials, frustrated over a seeming lack of direction on how to best open the Mayslake mansion in Oak Brook, insisted Thursday that a comprehensive spending plan for renovations and mansion use be developed in 30 days.

The district's Operations Committee struggled during a sometimes-quarrelsome meeting over what direction would be most palatable to the entire commission. Over previous years, some commissioners have resisted restoring the nationally recognized building, fearing a money pit.

"This property has been owned by the Forest Preserve District for seven years," said Commissioner Paul Didzerekis (R-Wheaton). "It's about time someone started getting something done. This is stupid, in my mind." Commissioners had hoped that the private, non-profit Mayslake Landmark Conservancy could raise enough money on its own to renovate the mansion and open it to the public.

But the conservancy has not been able to come up with the money to bring the mansion up to code, so district commissioners recently approved spending $1 million on safety requirements. Since then, architects have recommended that the district salvage the retreat wing because that would save money for utilities and for meeting federal accessibility requirements. The wing previously had been left out of the plan.

However, that request apparently surprised the full commission, which rejected a resolution to include the retreat wing after several officials requested more information.

The mansion was built in 1922 by coal baron Francis Peabody and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Franciscan monks added the retreat wings and a chapel in the 1950s.

On Thursday, the Operations Committee decided to return to the drawing board and develop an overall plan regarding construction phases of the mansion and retreat wings-with dollar requirements attached.

Meanwhile, the architects are on hold. "They should be on hold," said Commissioner Roger Jenisch (R-Bloomingdale). "We don't know what we're doing with the building." Commissioner Olivia Gow (R-Elmhurst), chairwoman of the Operations Committee, complained that the mansion's plan has changed over the years because of commissioner turnover and resistance.

"The whole idea was the mansion would open this year," Gow said. Audrey Muschler, a member of the conservancy's board of directors, said she remained optimistic.

"There is an awareness of the overall plan and the importance of the retreat wing to the mansion," she said.

In a move that could hasten the opening of the Mayslake mansion in Oak Brook, DuPage County Forest District officials proposed Thursday that the district begin talks about permanently taking control of the mansion from the agency that currently runs it.

Dan Griffin, the district's director of operations, said that next month he will go before the board of the private, non-profit Mayslake Landmark Conservancy to ask them to hand over control of the mansion to the district and serve in a support capacity.

Since 1995, the group has tried to raise money to renovate the mansion-built in 1922 by coal baron Francis Peabody and listed on the National Register of Historic Places-and open it to the public. But the conservancy has been unable to come up with the money to bring the mansion up to code.

Griffin said if the district takes over, however, both it and the conservancy will be able to raise more funds from public and private grants and possibly open as soon as Jan. 1.

"We can't even walk anybody in it now," Griffin said. "This really gets the ball rolling."

Conservancy board member Audrey Muschler said she favors the plan, even if some of her colleagues disagree.

"This is excellent," she said. "It will mean that the mansion will open so much sooner than we would have been able to."

Muschler said the conservancy has raised $450,000 to refurbish a chapel on the mansion's grounds and repair parts of the mansion's interior. But she said the group can't do all the work needed to open the mansion for tours and cultural events.

The move came as the district's Operations Committee approved earmarking nearly $1 million for safety and disabled-accessibility improvements to the mansion, as well as selected parts of the retreat wing.

The committee also approved a study on whether to add a covered breezeway that would connect the second floor of the retreat wing with the mansion. One drawback to the plans, however, is that the work would mean changes to the bedroom where Peabody himself slept, Griffin said.

"We'd have to punch a hole in Peabody's bedroom," he said. "But we have to abide by the [Americans with Disabilities Act] requirements."

After being spurned on their request to take control of the historic Mayslake mansion in Oak Brook, DuPage County Forest Preserve District officials on Tuesday said they were going to begin efforts to wrest the historic building from the group running it.

In a move that could end with the mansion's opening to the public or the issue landing in the courts, the Forest Preserve District's Operations Committee said it will freeze spending on renovating the mansion as it moves forward with its own plans to take control of the building.

The committee's decision comes after a meeting this month between Dan Griffin, the forest district director of operations, and the Mayslake Landmark Conservancy, the private group that has a contract until 2005 to run the mansion. The conservancy board recently rejected a forest district offer that the district begin running the mansion and keep the conservancy on as a "support agency."

Some committee members said their decision Tuesday was akin to calling the conservancy's bluff in a game of poker and said they believe the non-profit group eventually will go along with the forest district's plan to save the mansion rather than risk seeing it stay closed or even torn down.

"I'm calling their hand," Michael Formento (R-Glen Ellyn) said. "It is our hope that they will eventually come along for the ride."

The conservancy wants to open the mansion as a historical showcase and since 1995 it has tried to raise money to renovate the building which was built in 1922 by coal baron Francis Peabody and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The group has unable to come up with the funds to bring the mansion up to code.

The forest district has promised to spend more than $1 million to renovate the structure, but wants to have control of the building if it spends major dollars on the project.

That money will now be frozen, a move that Griffin acknowledged could be grounds for a lawsuit.

"They could say we promised to spend the million dollars, but we never said when we were going to do it," he said. "We could wait until after 2005, when their contract runs out."

It seems both sides need each other, with the conservancy having historic knowledge of the property and control until 2005, while the forest district has the money.

Griffin said that if the two sides worked together, they could raise more funds from public and private grants and possibly open the mansion as soon as Jan. 1. As a support group, the conservancy also would recruit and manage volunteers and serve as an advisory board.

"We need to convince them that their goals will be achieved by working with us," said Commissioner Patricia Carr (R-Wheaton), not a member of the operations committee.

But in a letter, conservancy President David Fichter said the group doesn't want to give up control of the mansion.

"Because of the investment of time and effort that we have made to achieve our goals, because of our familiarity with the property and its problems and because of our intense commitment to the property, we feel that we are in a unique position to ensure appropriate development and operation of the property," he wrote. "While we recognize that we will be able to accomplish even more with the full support of the Forest Preserve District, we find that we are hesitant to radically change the terms of our existing agreement." Fichter was not available for comment Tuesday.

In his letter, Fichter suggested several changes to the contract that he said would "help us jointly achieve the goals," including having the forest district pay for an executive director, landscaping and a marketing plan. Forest district officials quickly rejected those suggestions and vowed to begin playing "hardball."

"We're trying to get this place open and they're not willing to even come to the plate," said Roger Jenisch (R-Bloomingdale). "We should ask them to reconsider and then, if they don't, we're going to get in a war."

In a veiled threat to the conservancy, the committee said it was going to move forward with its plans, including taking the issue in July to the full Forest Preserve District commission. Many members of the full commission have expressed serious reservations about spending millions of dollars on the mansion, calling it a money pit.

Paul Didzerekis (R-Wheaton) said commission members want to see a plan before approving any money for the mansion. Because of the financial difficulties, no plan has been formalized.

Forest Preserve District President Dewey Pierotti (R-Addison) said he will sign a letter to be sent this week from the district asking the conservancy to reconsider its decision not to become a support agency. "I hope they don't let their egos stand in the way," he said.

Some architects look at the Peabody Mansion's retreat wing and see an outdated structure of no historic value with a $1 million price tag to bring it into compliance with DuPage County building codes.

But, Mayslake supervisor Jerry Bulifant knows the retreat wing will be a vital part of his master plan to attract daily public tours, weekend wedding receptions and other special events to the Mayslake property near 31st Street and St. Paschal's Drive. "It has a lot of potential" Bulifant said late last week. "I'm glad it is not going to be knocked down."

DuPage County Forest Preserve Commissioners voted March 21 to retain the 50,000-square-foot, three-story retreat wing instead of tearing it down. Last month, forest staff told commissioners to consider getting rid of the wing because renovations would cost $1 million, and they were worried about properly maintaining such a large building.

But Bulifant asked commissioners to consider keeping the retreat wing because it can house a cloak room, handicap accessible restrooms and other support services instead of using space in the historic Peabody Mansion. The wing also has a 250-seat chapel that can be used for weddings, conferences or other cultural events.

The retreat wing eventually could house a gift shop, museum or environmental study area when the mansion is opened to the public in the near future, Bulifant said."The wing could be a profit center which could offset the mansion's operating expenses," Bulifant said. "I've seen other historic buildings across the country that had old adjacent buildings torn down. But years later when the public officials realized there was no space for storage and other infrastructure, they were forced to rebuild those adjacent buildings."

Franciscan monks, who obtained the mansion in 1922 after Francis Peabody's death, built the retreat wing in the 1950s and used it for visitors who participated in religious retreats. No renovations have been made to the wing since then.

Architects estimate the retreat wing's faulty heating system needs to be gutted and replaced and a fire alarm system must be installed. Air conditioning also needs to be installed for the restroom and entrance areas, said Dan Griffin, forest district director of operations. "The wing needs work, but when finished it can help maintain the historic integrity of the mansion," Bulifant said. "I'm definitely in favor of using the retreat wing to its maximum potential."

Architects estimate it will cost $3 million to bring the mansion into compliance with county building codes. Those improvements include asbestos removal.

Bulifant reports to a trailer office next to the mansion, where he works on developing a master plan and marketing strategy for the mansion's future use. He said he gets help from the Mayslake Conservancy, a volunteer agency that had responsibility for the estate from 1995 to 1999.

Bulifant hopes the mansion can be opened to the public by the summer of 2001, although he knows that decision will be up to forest preserve commissioners.

The DuPage housing Authority has a new set of spiffy architectural drawings to illustrate its plans for converting the former St. Paschal Friary in Oak Brook into assisted-living apartments for older adults. But there appears to be a potential bump in the effort to rehabilitate the imposing stone and red-brick building, which the housing authority acquired earlier this year from the DuPage Forest Preserve District. John Day, the housing authority's executive director said Thursday that his agency may need to use additional forest preserve property to accommodate storm runoff and other drainage from the friary.

In a briefing for members of a forest preserve committee, Day and the housing authority's architects said the friary property may not be large enough to accommodate both drainage needs and additional parking. The housing authority doesn't want to acquire more land from the Forest Preserve District but may seek an agreement that would allow storm water to drain onto forest preserve property south of the friary.

The friary, on the east edge of the 89-acre Mayslake Forest Preserve near Illinois Highway 83 and Oak Brook Road, was once home to a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers. The Forest Preserve District paid $17.5 million in 1992 to acquire the land for open space but never intended to use the friary building.

After months of negotiations, forest preserve commissioners voted in January to transfer the building and slightly less than 4.5 acres of property to the housing authority for $1 in an effort to save a unique building and avoid the costs of demolition. The housing authority also was to pay for razing a 24-car garage on the property, but Day said plans now call for using the garage for resident parking.

Federal tax-exempt financing regulations limit how much of the Mayslake property the Forest Preserve District can give up. The question for district officials is whether it would be legal to allow the housing authority to use, though not purchase, additional land.

"We don't have an answer to that," said Robert Mork, the district's lawyer. Forest preserve staff members said the housing authority's proposal could benefit the district if the runoff is channeled into a new wetlands area. The transfer of the friary property won't be completed until the housing authority obtains zoning approval from Oak Brook and arranges financing. Day also said there are not estimates on the cost of rehabilitating the building, which was constructed mostly by hand in the 1950s by members of the Franciscan order.

Drawings by the Glen Ellyn architectural firm of LZT/Filliung LLP show 72 living units--mostly one-bedroom apartments averaging about 500 square feet--as well as facilities for banking services, a medical office, a gift shop and a library.

The highly anticipated fall 2001 reopening of the historic Peabody Mansion is in jeopardy after project architects revealed last week they are behind on their work.

Architects from the Chicago-based firm Holabird & Root on Aug. 24 were summoned to give an update on their renovation plans to a panel of DuPage County Forest Preserve District commissioners, When the architects arrived with incomplete drawings, the commissioners were irate.

"We expected them to put it on the fast track, not drag it out," Commissioner Olivia Gow said. "What good is it to keep (the mansion) shuttered up? The public's paid for it, now they can't see it."

Representatives from the firm assured commissioners the project will be out to bid by October; which is consistent with the original schedule.

"We did not think it was realistic," Gow said. "We didn't think they were really looking at all the things it will take to get this done?"

Forest district officials bought the Mayslake Forest Preserve property, which includes the mansion, in 1993 for $16 million, a deal voters approved in a 1992 referendum, spokesman Bill Weidner said.

Original project plans involved renovating the mansion to make it accessible to disabled people, project engineer Ross Hill said. But in March, forest district commissioners decided to keep the mansion's retreat wing and asked architects to incorporate it into the renovation, he said.

Renovations to the retreat wing will include replacing the heating and air conditioning and electrical systems, installing fire sprinklers and making the building accessible to disabled people, said Jerry Bulifant, full time supervisor for the mansion.

Forest district officials had hoped to open a portion of the building in fall 2001 for fund-raisers and small weddings, said Bulifant, who is responsible for overseeing the renovation project and developing a strategy to attract visitors to the property.

"With the delay, it just pushes (the reopening) back," Bulifant said. "It holds us back from developing a tour program to come through the mansion or hosting other programs?"

And much of the renovation will come after the reopening, adding to the district's frustration. The mansion will be renovated, room by room, to restore the building to its original, 1920s-style, Bulifant said. The retreat wing will receive space for offices and public meetings, a museum, gift shop and a cultural center.

With the fall 2001 goal looming, architects with Holabird & Root face a tight schedule to get the project out to bid by October.

The architects still have to bring completed plans in front of forest district officials for approval.

"I can't tell yet if it's going to be months or weeks," Bulifant said.

The Oak Brook Civic Association has scheduled a community meeting in September to inform residents about the DuPage Housing Authority's proposal to convert the St. Paschal's Friary into an assisted-living facility for senior citizens.

Housing officials will discuss their design plans and will answer residents' questions at the meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, in the Samuel Dean boardroom at village hall, 1200 Oak Brook Road.

The Friary Residences at Mayslake will feature 72 or 73 apartments and amenities such as a beauty parlor, barber shop, library, coffee shop, ice cream parlor, bank and exercise room, said John Day, executive director for the DuPage County Housing Authority. Senior residents will receive meals and some support services, but no medication, he said.

The friary, which had housed 70 Franciscan Friars as late as 1956, has sat vacant for 10 years. In January, housing authority officials purchased the 4.5-acre site from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District for $1, a deal that hinges on Oak Brook officials approving several zoning requests, Day said.

Housing authority officials will petition the village to reclassify the site from conservation and recreation to residential use and to subdivide the friary from the remainder of the Mayslake Forest Preserve property, Day said. Officials also will seek a special-use permit to operate the facility, he added. Housing officials must submit their design plans to the village by a Friday, Sept. 15, deadline for consideration this fall. If the deadline is kept, the project's zoning requests could be reviewed at the Monday, Oct. 16, plan commission meeting and at the Tuesday, Nov. 7, zoning board of appeals meeting, village manager Stephen Veitch said.

Day said his organization is striving to meet the September deadline. The project architect is finishing the drawings, after which housing authority officials and project architects will determine if any portion of the design will be trimmed, he said.

"We certainly want to get (our request) in as quickly as possible," Day said. "We also don't want to do it in haste. Neither the final cost nor the rent for the apartments has been determined."

Housing authority officials had estimated the project's cost at $10 million to $20 million, which they plan to finance by issuing tax-exempt bonds. They commissioned a marketing study to determine the average rent for similar units in DuPage County, which cost about $3,000 a month.

A Westmont senior housing complex received a $6.6 million federal grant this week to help it build 75 new housing units, with construction beginning in early 2002. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the grant Tuesday that for Mayslake Village Inc., a retirement complex with more than 700 residents.

Rev. Larry Dreffein, president of the non-profit village, said Wednesday the award will cover most of the building costs of the expansion, but Mayslake officials are continuing to pursue other funding so they can begin construction in about 18 months. Administrator Michael Frigo said the funding shortfall Mayslake Village is working to cover is projected to be less than $1 million. The 74 one-bedroom units and a two-bedroom manager's unit will replace 44 small efficiency apartments built in the early 1960s. When completed, the new units will give Mayslake Village 671 units, compared with the current 640 units, which include the old efficiencies scheduled for removal.

Because of the popularity of the retirement complex near Oak Brook, Mayslake officials recently capped tile list of seniors looking to rent units at 1,400. The wait for one of Mayslake's larger units can run to more than a dozen years, officials said.

"This grant approval supports our efforts to provide not only a residence for our senior members, but also a community that enriches the lives and dignity of each in our Franciscan tradition," said Dreffein.

U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL), who assisted Mayslake Village in acquiring the grant, described the senior housing complex as "a model facility." "I have visited Mayslake Village many times. It does an excellent job of providing affordable housing to low- and moderate-income seniors," said Biggert.

The most recent HUD award to Mayslake before the latest grant was for about $275,000 for walkway replacement, said Dreffein. Mayslake completed a $2 million renovation of its dining room, chapel and offices in 1996 through a combination of private donations and federal grant money. The complex, at 1801 35th St., consists of three high-rise buildings and several low-rise apartment clusters scattered over about 40 acres of the former Peabody Coal Co. estate. The apartments range from the small, one-room efficiencies, which are scheduled to be replaced, to three-bedroom units.

Depending on income, healthy seniors 62 and older can pay $50 to $594 a month to rent units. A small percentage of the units have no income restrictions. Although it is managed by Franciscans, who founded Mayslake Village in 1963, a majority of the complex's funding comes from federal housing money. According to Mayslake officials the complex is the nation's largest HUD-subsidized retirement village in a single location.