REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE REAL ESTATE and BUSINESS and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

 

July 24, 2007

 

The Honorable,

The Board of Commissioners of Cook County

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Present:

Chairman Goslin, Vice Chairman Beavers, Commissioners Butler, Maldonado, Moreno, Peraica, Schneider and Steele (8)

 

Absent:

Commissioners Gorman (1)

 

Also Present:

 

Commissioners Daley, Murphy, Quigley, Silvestri and Sims; Anna Ashcraft, Special Assistant, Office of the President and Raymond Muldoon, Director of Real Estate Management Division

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

        Your Committee on Finance Real Estate and Business and Economic Development of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County met pursuant to notice on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at the hour of 11:00 AM in the Board Room, Room 569, County Building, 118 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois.

 

        Your Committee has considered the following items and upon adoption of this report, the recommendations are as follows:

 

288050

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT DIVISION, by Raymond Muldoon, Director, transmitting a Communication, dated June 15, 2007:

 

requesting authorization from the Board of Commissioners of Cook County that certain parcels of real estate owned by the County of Cook located at the Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County Campus, 15900 South Cicero Avenue, Oak Forest, Illinois be declared excess, be made available for sale, and sold at no less than the current fair market value determined by a certified appraisal.

 

The subject property is comprised of the real estate located south of the campus on Cicero Avenue, and the area located east of the campus and including the lake and cemetery areas, but not the campus itself.

 

It has been determined by all agencies involved that the subject property is no longer needed for County purposes and can be released for sale.

 

Approval recommended.

 

*Referred to the Finance Real Estate and Business and Economic Development      Subcommittee on July 10, 2007.

 

*Approved at the Finance Real Estate and Business and Economic Development Subcommittee on July 24, 2007.

 

 

Anna Ashcraft, Special Assistant, Office of the President, gave a presentation on the property located at 15900 South Cicero Avenue, Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County Campus, Oak Forest, Illinois.  Ms. Ashcraft recommended that the property be made available for sale, and sold at no less than the current fair market value determined by a certified appraisal.  The Oak Forest Hospital Campus was acquired in 1908 by the Cook County Board. Prior to this purchase of the property the facility was used for feeding and housing the poor.  It was a self- sustaining work farm and hospital community named Dunning, located at 6400 West Irving Road (Irving Park and Nagle in the City of Chicago).  The Cicero parcel is a valuable 24 acres and has the potential for commercial development.  

 

The City of Oak Forest would annex the parcel if the County of Cook would allow for a large commercial development such as a “big box” store. The Forest Preserve District is willing to commit approximately 13 million dollars to purchase the land and care for the grave sites. 

 

In the 1900’s the County Board decided to replace the facility and advertise for bids and selected the property located at a 159th and Cicero Avenue. The purchase cost was $33,625.00 dollars for over 300 acres of land.           . 

 

(See attachment #1.)

 

Ray Muldoon, Director of Real Estate Management Division, stated in the month of May a (RFQ) Request for Qualification and (RFP) Request for Proposal were sent out for an appraiser and a surveyor.  The Real Estate Division selected two appraisers Byrnes Houlihan & Walsh and SAS Appraisal an surveyor company S Claussen & White.

 

Commissioner Murphy asked whether the State of Illinois is purchasing the 60 acres located on Crawford Avenue.

 

Ms. Ashcraft replied the State of Illinois is interested in a minimum of 8 acres, but may be interested in purchasing 60 acres.

 

Commissioner Peraica, seconded by Chairman Goslin, moved the approval of Communication No. 288050. The motion carried unanimously.

 

288061

RESOLUTION DETERMINING THE NEED TO REVIEW AND AMEND THE COOK COUNTY REAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT CLASSIFICATION ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO CLARIFY THAT REAL ESTATE USED FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES INCLUDES USE BY BUSINESS ENTITES ENGAGED IN THE CREATION OF COMPUTER AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTS (PROPOSED RESOLUTION).  Submitting a Proposed Resolution sponsored by Timothy O. Schneider, County Commissioner.

 

The following is a synopsis of the Resolution.

 

PROPOSED RESOLUTION

 

A RESOLUTION DETERMINING THE NEED TO REVIEW AND AMEND

THE COOK COUNTY REAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT CLASSIFICATION ORDINANCE

IN ORDER TO CLARIFY THAT REAL ESTATE USED FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES INCLUDES USE BY BUSINESS ENTITIES ENGAGED IN THE CREATION OF COMPUTER AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTS

 

WHEREAS, there exists the Real Property Assessment Classification Ordinance, as from time to time amended (amended November 29, 1976; June 6, 1977; September 19, 1977; May 16, 1978; January 2, 1979; March 3, 1980; September 2, 1980; October 3, 1983; April 2, 1984, November 18, 1985; May 19, 1986; June 20, 1988; September 5, 1989; December 18, 1989; March 16, 1992; December 6, 1994; November 19, 1996; May 6, 1997; November 23, 1999; April 18, 2000; September 6, 2001; December 4, 2001; April 9, 2002; July 13, 2004; December 14, 2004; January 18, 2006; February 15, 2006; November 2, 2006; and May 15, 2007); and

 

WHEREAS, the Cook County Board has determined that there is a need to review and amend the Cook County Real Property Assessment Classification Ordinance to clarify that real estate used for industrial purposes includes use by business entities engaged in the creation of computer and internet technology as well as information technology and products.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners that:

 

            Section 1.  The above referenced recitals are hereby incorporated into this Resolution.

 

            Section 2.  The use of real estate in Cook County to support Data Farms or Data Centers should be considered real estate used for industrial purposes pursuant to the Cook County Real Property Assessment Classification Ordinance and as such is the type of use that generally qualifies for a Class 6b development incentive pursuant to that ordinance.

 

            Section 3.  The Real Estate & Business & Economic Development Subcommittee of this Board should consider the issue of whether the Cook County Real Property Assessment Classification Ordinance has been kept current to reflect the use of real estate by business entities engaged in the creation of computer and or internet technology as well as information technology and products and make recommendations as to any appropriate amendments to the Cook County Real Property Assessment Classification Ordinance.

 

*Referred to the Finance Real Estate and Business and Economic Development      Subcommittee on July 10, 2007.

 

*Approved at the Finance Real Estate and Business and Economic Development Subcommittee on July 24, 2007.

 

Commissioner Schneider indicated that in Communication No. 288061 the resolution attempts to bring the Class 6B classification into the 21st century.  Large computer facilities and data centers will house billions of computer information for IBM, Sony, Google, Micro-Soft and multitude of large internet technology companies.  The Assessor’s Office agreed that these high tech industries dealing with computers and its technology should qualify for a Class 6B insensitive.

 

Commissioner Peraica commented that Cook County is the only county in the State of Illinois that has an ordinance in place.

 

 

 

Commissioner Schneider, seconded by Commissioner Peraica, moved the approval of Communication No. 288061. The motion carried unanimously.

 

Commissioner Peraica moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Commissioner Schneider.  The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned.

 

 

YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ACTION WITH REGARD TO THE MATTERS NAMED HEREIN:

 

Communication Number 288050                               Approved

 

Communication Number 288061                               Approved

 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Committee on Finance Real Estate and Business and Economic Development

 

 

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Gregg Goslin, Chairman

 

 

Attest:

 

 

 

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Matthew B. DeLeon, Secretary

 

 

 

** The audio recording for this meeting is available from the Office of the Secretary to the Board, 118 North Clark Street, Room 567, Chicago, IL 60602.