Dear Lyons Township High School Community,

The purpose of this message is to provide an update regarding District 204’s Willow Springs property since our last communication on October 1.

As previously shared, District 204 has owned undeveloped land in Willow Springs near 79th Street and Willow Springs Road for more than 65 years. Originally purchased in the late 1950s for a potential third campus, the property is no longer needed for that purpose. The Village of Willow Springs has zoned the land as the North Willow Springs Road Corridor–Planned Development District, which allows public and not for profit secondary schools, while further providing that retail and other uses permitted in the B-1 Community Shopping District, single family residential housing and senior housing may also be permitted, subject to approval as part of an approved planned development by the Village of Willow Springs.

Over the past two years, the Board has engaged in extensive discussions about the property and its potential future uses, including conversations with the community, the Village of Willow Springs, the Pleasantdale Park District, and Pleasantdale School District 107. Most recently, District 204 invited the Pleasantdale Park District to explore a potential land swap and offered Pleasantdale School District 107 the opportunity to purchase seven acres of District-owned land.

At the October 6 Committee of the Whole meeting, the Board agreed to further explore a potential sale of the property during the 2025–26 school year and to begin initial steps in that process, such as updating a property survey and ordering an updated title commitment. At the October 20 Regular Action Meeting, the Board approved a resolution authorizing a sale agreement with Pleasantdale School District 107 for a one-acre parcel of the Willow Springs property at a sale price of $320,000.

On Wednesday, October 22, Lyons Township High School District 204 received from Nitti Development an unsolicited notice of interest in the acquisition and development of the District’s Willow Springs property.  Our community can access the inquiry and letters of intent by clicking here.  

As communicated to Nitti Development on Tuesday, October 29, it is not legally permissible for the District 204 Board to enter into a contract or agreement based on the letters of intent received from Nitti Development. Rather, any potential sale of the Willow Springs property to a private party would need to be conducted by public sale in accordance with the provisions of Section 5-22 of the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/5-22).

The Board will continue its discussion of this topic at future meetings, including the November 3 Committee of the Whole meeting, which will be held in the North Campus Board Room at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.

The Board views the Willow Springs property as a valuable District asset and is committed to leveraging its value to support facility improvements across both campuses and to advance Goal 5: Resource Effectiveness in our Strategic Plan. We remain dedicated to a transparent, thoughtful process and will continue to share regular updates with the community in the months ahead.

To learn more about the District 204 Willow Springs property, click here.

Sincerely,

Lyons Township High School District 204 Board of Education